


The Silences in Between

by Layora88



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Relationship(s) but not boyfriend/girlfriend, Anxiety Attacks, Apocalyptica - Band, Apocalyptica's Music, Awful Brock Rumlow, Bookshop Meet Cute, Brock is not HYDRA, Bruises, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Comfort, Creepy Brock Rumlow, F/M, First Meetings, Guilt, Injury, Insecure Bucky Barnes, MILD - Freeform, Masturbation, Meet-Cute, Mentions of Underage Abuse, Mentions of past abuse, Musician Original Female Character, Mutual Pining, Panic Attacks, Physical Abuse, Pining, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Steve Rogers is a little shit, Super Soldier Serum (Marvel), Sweet Bucky Barnes, Taking Chances, Team as Family, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Troublemaker Tony Stark, Violinist, We still love him anyway, hurt clara, mention of rape, not Clara, not between Bucky and Clara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:47:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 96,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26724631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layora88/pseuds/Layora88
Summary: Bucky Barnes is just trying to figure out where to go from here and he didn't need a sweet young woman to stumble into his life and throw him yet another curve ball. Not that it wasn't greatly appreciated, he just wasn't sure he could do the whole dating thing after everything. But what was a second chance at life if you didn't take chances?Cue second chances, recovering Bucky and meddling Avengers/Team as Family, because yes, of course they all love each other and nothing hurts.A bookshop meet-cute that's incredibly sappy, a whole forest of pine-I swear-so much fluff and I promise you, there WILL be smut, because it's me, let's face it AND there will be a very happy ending, because Bucky deserves that much.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 96
Kudos: 145





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This...came out of nowhere, I'm going to be quite honest with you. I did not anticipate starting a new story and certainly not one quite like this. I've been listening to a LOT of Apocalyptica as of late[if you haven't heard of them, please go find them and listen, honestly, incredible] and in listening to them, I got the very bright idea of a violinist, one whom Bucky falls madly in love with, because why the hell not?
> 
> So yes, this happened and I've got...over 100pages currently written and I started this less than a week ago. Like, I'm sorry, whut? I don't think I've ever written quite that much in such a short period of time, honestly. But yes, this is a work in progress, another one and I'm sorry, but not really? I seriously hope you all enjoy this, because I'm enjoying the hell out of writing it. So please, please, please, let me know what you think?
> 
> Also, huge thank you to Autumn_Rose for being so lovely and reading the first bit of the story, inspiring me to continue writing more. <3
> 
> I created a couple of inspiration boards for this story and I'll post them as more of the story is revealed. Here's the first one.  
> [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/190506962@N03/50427537716/in/dateposted-public/)

“I-I’m sorry, Clara, but your card was declined.”

“ _Declined?_ ” She whispered, confusion evident in the lines of her young face.

The brunette behind the counter fidgeted awkwardly as she nodded, looking apologetic, sympathetic and uncomfortable all in one breath. “I tried it twice to make sure, but it’s not going through. I’m sorry, we can spot you this time if you want-“

“ _No-_ “ She said hastily. “No, no, that’s alright, Stephanie. Thank you though, um…maybe you could put it on hold for me? Just until next Friday?”

Stephanie nodded, brightening considerably. “Of course, Clara. I’ll put it aside, don’t worry,” She assured, picking up the book and slipping it beneath the counter.

She didn’t manage to hide her look of concern when Clara merely nodded and mumbled a quiet, “ _thanks_ ,” as she ducked her head in an attempt to hide the angry red flush that was steadily overtaking her cheeks.

Exhaling shakily but slowly, she turned to flee from the conversation, the shop, the humiliation. How could she not have even enough left on her Visa to cover the cost of a simple _book?_ She wondered…and ran smack dab into a brick wall.

Correction, a _muscle-y_ brick wall.

A surprised _oomph_ escaped her and she quickly righted herself, adjusting the grip on her case and bag as she gasped out a choked apology, not even sparing the man a proper glance in her attempt to escape. _God_ , but there was a lineup of people that had witnessed her inability to pay for a _book!_ She bit back a quiet noise of distress, heat building behind her eyes, her cheeks now flushed with red and the shame was just too awful to bare.

Before she knew it, she was out into the cool New York City streets fighting for sidewalk space just like everyone else. She wiped hastily at her now damp eyes and ducked towards the alcove where they kept their bookshop signs to just _breathe_ for a moment or three.

.

“ _Sir?_ ”

Bucky’s gaze snapped back to the clerk in front of him, the young woman smiling nervously. He was so stunned by the woman bumping into him that he’d completely frozen, startled by more than just the contact. He’d _seen_ it was going to happen and had just frozen in place.

He’d seen her shopping in the store, pouring over several books before she’d chosen one she liked best. He had been preoccupied with steering clear of the other shoppers and quickly and quietly seeking out the books he’d come to look for and hadn’t really gotten the chance to look too closely at her. But now he sort of wished he had.

“Is everything alright?” The clerk asked him and he was once again struck by his inaction.

“ _Sorry_ ,” He apologized quietly, hastily stepping up to the counter and setting his purchases down for her to ring in.

“It’s alright,” She assured him patiently, reaching towards the couple of books he’d set down.

She smiled at him kindly as she processed them, nodding in what he thought was approval at his choices. “Did you find everything alright today, James?”

Bucky nodded, he liked Stephanie, always kind and pleasant to speak to. He only wished he weren’t so distracted as to pay her proper attention. Hesitantly, he glanced towards the shop’s bay window. “I did, thank you,” He told her quietly, while he fished out his wallet and pulled out a few bills.

He hesitated just a moment longer, gaze still lingering on the window wondering about the young woman he’d seen practically near tears. She had looked so upset. He frowned, wondering if he shouldn’t try and do something-

“James?” Stephanie prompted again, hand outstretched tentatively for the offered bills.

“ _Sorry_ ,” He apologized, _again_. “I was just-“ He shook his head and took a proper breath before exhaling steadily. “Can I buy that book? The one the young lady left? I’d like to give it to her and I don’t think she’d have gotten far.”

Stephanie blinked in surprise and asked curiously, “You want to buy it for her?”

He nodded, pulling out an extra twenty and offering it along with the others to her. “Will this be enough?”

She nodded slowly and reached under the counter where she’d stowed the book. “That will be more than enough, thank you,” She murmured, placing the book atop his own.

Bucky bit his lower lip and handed over the few bills, glancing out the window again nervously. “Your change-“

He blushed lightly, quickly turning his attention back to where she was smiling at him kindly, if not a bit curiously now. “Thank you.”

She was always so kind to him when he paid the shop a visit and today was no exception. She nodded, handing over his change and a copy of his receipt. “Thank you for your purchase, James and- _Clara_ , her name is Clara.”

Bucky smiled a bit shyly at her and nodded. “Thank you, Stephanie.”

Her smile was definitely wider as he scooped up his purchases and turned to leave, heading out the door with a bit more energy in his step. He hoped she hadn’t left yet or at least hadn’t gotten very far.

He stepped out into the cool autumn air and didn’t waste any time as he turned and headed in the direction she’d run off. He was relieved to see that she didn’t go too far. However, he was not so relieved to find her leaning back against the brick of the shop and brushing fresh tears from her reddened cheeks.

Bucky’s heart _ached_ for this young woman and he didn’t even _know_ her. But something was telling him that he _wanted_ to and that was…

For a moment he didn’t move towards her, nor make any move to speak, suddenly finding himself rather intimidated by this stranger. She looked _vulnerable_ and he didn’t want to push himself onto her, didn’t want to butt his nose in where it didn’t belong, but-

“ _Miss?_ ”

 _There_ , he did it. He tentatively removed the book from the small stack in his arms and offered it to her and that’s when she looked up.

He was momentarily stunned by the sight of her, grey-blue, almost smoky eyes wide and full of tears, her jaw length dark hair the colour of ash, shifting with the light breeze. Her lips were parted and although her eyes were red rimmed and her mascara had clearly began to run, he thought she was-

He exhaled a bit more shakily than he expected, his own grey eyes rounding, lips parting in awe. “I-it’s Clara, right?” He finally managed when she made no move to speak.

But her jaw was already dropping open even further in surprise and then she was hastily pushing herself from the wall and picking up the bag she’d dropped along with an awkward leather carrying case. She still didn’t say anything, but her eyes flickered down to his outstretched hand and the book in his grasp and just as quickly back to his face. He swallowed hard, unsure as to how to proceed because she looked as if she were ready to bolt.

“I-I’m sorry if I overstepped, but you-you seemed like you weren’t having a great day and I just thought-” He shrugged helplessly, lowering the book still in his outstretched hand since she didn’t seem quite ready to take it.

He happened to glance down at the cover, not having paid much attention to it back in the shop but he was surprised by what he saw. It looked to be a journal of sorts and though he wasn’t exactly a stranger to them, this one didn’t quite look like others he’d seen before.

He turned the book around in his grasp, the soft brown leather worn beneath his hand and let his eyes roam over the simple cover. It was a plain dark leather and there was no title on the cover either, just a single character embossed in therein, a music note.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Came an unexpectedly soft whisper and Bucky’s gaze flickered up from the books cover.

“I know, but I wanted to,” He admitted, voice shaky and slightly hoarse.

At this, another tear slipped free and she readjusted her grasp on the leather case in her arms to hastily wipe it away. “That was really sweet of you, Mr. Barnes.”

Bucky’s gaze lowered, turning nervous and shy now that he was sure she knew who he was. “ _Bucky_ , you can call me Bucky, if you want,” He told her, glancing back down to the book in his grasp.

He couldn’t help it when his curiosity got the better of him, however, and flipped it open to a few pages in. “ _Oh_ , is this-do you write music?” He asked, a little startled by his own boldness. “ _Sorry,_ I shouldn’t pry, it’s none of my business,” He apologized, second guessing himself entirely; he knew this had been a bad idea.

To be fair, he hadn’t exactly expected the sight of page upon page of empty staff lines, just waiting to be filled in. Writing music surely couldn’t be an easy task.

Clara shifted in front of him and Bucky lifted his gaze back to her nervously. She was smiling at him tentatively, if a bit awkwardly, her piercing gaze flickering between the book and his bright eyes. “It’s alright, you can ask.”

“Do you write music?” He breathed, eyes rounded and focused entirely on her and _where_ did this courage come from?

His shoulders had dropped a fraction, clearly relieved she wasn’t upset with him for asking in the first place. He only just barely resisted the urge to switch his books to his right arm and shove his metal hand in his coat pocket as she nodded, a warm smile tugging at her lips as her gaze swept over him. He certainly had the urge to do the same. Maybe he’d look when he wouldn’t be quite so obvious about it. Not that he’d minded _her_ looking very much. She was very pretty.

“Th-that’s good then,” He managed and seemed to remember himself after a moment of them both just staring at one another. “Uh, _here-_ “

He closed the book and held it out to her once again, watching nervously as she extended a hand towards him to accept it. He couldn’t help noticing the slightly olive tone of her skin and thought she must be European and judging by the accent-

“You really didn’t need to do that,” She tried, interrupting his thoughts and taking a careful hold of the book.

When he let go, he watched as she then pressed it to her chest, awkwardly juggling it, her bag and the carrying case. “I was going to buy it next week.”

Bucky’s eyes crinkled with sincerity as he nodded. “I know you were, Miss. I just-I saw how upset it made you that you weren’t able to take it with you today and-“ He shrugged helplessly. “I just wanted to help.”

Clara’s gaze softened, her smile shifting into something more open, even if she still looked entirely too vulnerable and _oh,_ _but she must be young_ , he thought, watching her grey-blue eyes light up just that much more. He tried to ignore the warmth in his chest at the knowledge that he was the one to do that, the one to make her feel this way.

“Thank you, Bucky,” She breathed quietly, entirely genuine and Bucky softened even further in her presence.

“You’re welcome, I-I hope I’m not keeping you…” He asked, noting her rather professional attire and this time he did let his gaze sweep over her.

He’d noticed her in the shop at first because of her heels and the noise they’d made against the hardwood and in noticing them, he’d- _well,_ noticed her. Dressed smartly in a black pants suit, a white button up shirt and a matching black tie, wrapped up in an oversized brown long coat left open for the time being.

She looked like she was important dressed like she was, but when he’d looked a little closer while she’d stood in line in front of him, he’d seen the patches on her coat-sleeves elbows, not quite the same shade of brown as the rest. He could see stitch-work at the hem of her coat and even at the cuffs of her pant legs as well.

Her outfit was neat and clean, but it was clearly something she had worn many times if the numerous repairs were anything to go by. There were also scuffs on her heels and it looked like perhaps she’d tried to cover the marks with black paint or maybe nail polish? He wasn’t entirely sure, but the more he looked, the more he noticed she perhaps wasn’t wearing the nicest clothing. It fit her well but it was worn, _old_ and it made him wonder about her even more as he let his gaze rove over her more carefully now that she was right there in front of him.

He recalled something his mother had said to him a very long time ago then; _dress not for the job you have, but for the one you want._

“No, you-you’re not keeping me,” She reassured, shifting and fixing the bag that kept wanting to slip off her shoulder and drawing Bucky’s gaze. “I have to work in an hour and it’s just around the corner, so I’m in no rush.”

Bucky nodded and worried at his lower lip for a moment as he fought with himself, deciding; _the hell with it, what’s the worst that could happen?_ What was a second chance at life worth if you didn’t take any chances?

“Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me?” He asked quietly, gesturing back to the bookstore and the little cafe attached, _so_ proud of himself for even managing to get it out in the first place; even if his words were a bit stilted, his voice maybe a bit too gruff.

She hesitated a moment, only a moment and Bucky was about to apologize when she nodded and bit at her lower lip, the plumpness of it distracting him for a beat. “A coffee would be great-“ She admitted and blew out a shaky breath. “Amazing, _actually_. It’s been an awful day and-“ She sighed, smiling self-deprecatingly. “Yeah, _coffee._ ”

Bucky smiled sympathetically, his eyes crinkling. “I know what those are like, believe me.”

She huffed softly and glanced away, murmuring, “ _I don’t doubt it_ ,” under her breath as he turned to usher her back towards the shop.

He bit his lower lip, gaze flickering over her, not sure if he was meant to hear that or not. “Can I carry that for you? It looks a little awkward,” He asked, trying to distract himself from staring too hard and gesturing to the case she was holding instead.

Because it did look awkward, and heavy. He wondered what was in it for a brief moment. It looked like an instrument case of some kind.

“Oh, I-“ She shook her head lightly as they walked back to the door, Bucky darting forward a bit and pulling it open for her seeing as she was about to knock her shoulder into it to open it herself. “It’s alright, thank you. I don’t-I don’t really feel comfortable letting anyone else carry it.”

She grimaced apologetically as she said it and Bucky’s gaze flickered down to the worn leather case. “Oh that’s okay, I understand. Is it uh, an instrument?”

Clara smiled, relieved he didn’t find it strange as she made her way through the shop towards the coffee line. But before she could reply, she came to the realization that she didn’t have any change on her and she didn’t _dare_ try using her card again for a cup of coffee. She faltered in her footsteps and Bucky paused beside her.

He tipped his head curiously, trying to understand what might have stalled her and when he saw her staring ahead at the cafe line, he cleared his throat lightly, placing a comforting hand at her elbow to garner her attention. “What would you like to drink? It’s my treat.”

She exhaled shakily and seemed to relax minutely, casting a nervous glance up at him as he stood beside her. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure, _I_ invited _you_ to get coffee,” He insisted, watching as she looked up at him through her impossibly long lashes, pink staining the tops of her freckled cheeks, voice so soft and sweet, _unsure_.

She had such a sweet band of freckles across the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks, just a light smattering of them and he thought them to be rather endearing. She was unfairly pretty, barely taller than what he recalled Steve had been pre-serum and although she was slight, she didn’t look sickly in the slightest. Perhaps a little thin-

“Would you like a scone? They make some really great ones here,” He asked her, stepping up to the display case, now next in line.

She hesitated a moment before joining him, looking timidly into the bakery display. “I would love a scone, but only if you’re going to have one…the lemon cranberry is my favourite and you’re right, they really are great.”

Bucky turned a timid smile on her and nodded, watching as she hugged the book he’d given her tighter to her breast. “It’s one of my favourites too,” He confessed. “What would you like to drink?”

She bit her lower lip before asking for a simple vanilla latte and she asked him if he’d like her to go get a table for them while he waited for their drinks and he readily agreed. She headed over to one of the cafe’s big windows to pick out a table for them, when she’d seen the cozy table for two right by the window. She worried at her lower lip before sitting down and making herself comfortable, hoping that the _cozy table_ had been the right choice.

She slipped her bag from her shoulder and tucked it beneath the table, carefully setting down her case at her feet as well. She sighed and shifted back into her seat and placed the book he’d bought for her to the table, carefully smoothing her hands over the supple leather cover. She exhaled shakily as she let herself trace along the treble clef indented with black ink and then nearly startled when Bucky stepped into her periphery. She smiled up at him gratefully as he set down their coffees and sweets between them on the table.

“ _So_ …do you play an instrument?” He asked her, eyes crinkling and lips twitching when she huffed softly and nodded, tucking the book away into her bag not a moment later.

He watched as she wrapped her long delicate fingers around the coffee cup he’d brought her to soak up some of its warmth as she spoke.

“Several,” She admitted quietly, looking up shyly through her lashes at him.

She sat up a bit straighter in her chair a moment later, however, dropping her gaze to the table and the two scones he’d brought back for them. She quickly felt entirely too out of place in front of a man like James Buchanan Barnes. He didn’t want to hear about music and _instruments_. He was an _Avenger,_ he didn’t-

“ _Wow_ ,” He breathed, interrupting her thoughts and nearly startling her, _again._

She raised her gaze timidly to him and found him sitting back in his chair as if to better survey her, apparently more than surprised to hear such a thing. She averted her gaze nervously for a moment and raised her drink to her lips to take a sip. She was a bit stunned by the awe in his voice and she shrugged lightly, shifting to push her jacket from her shoulders, feeling much too warm all of a sudden.

“That’s rather impressive,” He praised, those piercing grey-blue eyes trained on her and after draping her coat over the back of her chair, she met his stare and found the intensity with which he was watching her was almost too much.

She glanced away again, shrugging lightly as she took another sip of her latte in an attempt to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. “I don’t really think so, but thank you all the same.”

Bucky’s small smile faltered and he shook his head, shifting forward in his seat. It drew her attention as he placed his forearms on the table and wrapped both of his hands-both metal and flesh-around his own takeaway cup.

“It is impressive,” He insisted quietly, _adamantly_. “I don’t think I know anyone capable of playing so many instruments,” He paused for a moment, searching her face. “Do-do you mind if I ask what instruments you play?”

Clara met his gaze then and breathed out slowly. It’d been a long time since she’d really spoken to anyone about her music. She bit her lower lip as she looked down at the scone she’d been carefully pulling apart over a napkin. “I play the violin mostly,” She swallowed, shifting her smoky gaze back up to connect with his. “But I also play the cello and the piano.”

“Wow, that’s-“ He swallowed. “That’s amazing. H-how long have you been playing?”

“Since I was eight, so-“ She paused and then scrunched up her nose. “I don’t think you need to know my age.”

Bucky laughed lightly, a _real_ laugh, something he hadn’t done a lot of lately. He was a bit surprised by his own reaction and blushed when he saw that she was smiling at him in warm amusement of her own.

He was so handsome when he laughed, his grey-blue eyes sparkling with mirth, nose scrunched and colour in his cheeks. He was sort of adorable if she was being completely honest with herself.

“Sorry,” He apologized, chuckling and tucking a few stray locks of his hair back behind his ear.

 _So_ sweet.

“Don’t be but yes, a while, to answer your question,” She offered, scrunching up her nose playfully.

Bucky smiled looked down at his scone and latte for a moment before deciding to take a piece from his treat. “Did you go to school for music?”

At this she averted her gaze and Bucky watched in confusion as her entire demeanour seemed to change in an instant as if she were closing herself off.

“No,” She sighed shakily. “My father taught me and I’ve been self teaching for the last year. I couldn’t afford to attend a school,” She explained quietly, the happiness from their earlier conversation feeling as if it had completely evaporated.

“Oh,” Was all Bucky could find within himself to say for a long moment. “W-well I’m sure you play beautifully.”

Clara’s gaze flickered and lingered on him with a faint smile tugging at her lips but it didn’t quite reach her eyes like before and he felt even worse for his misstep. “Thank you…I realized that I didn’t exactly introduce myself properly earlier, but you seemed to already know my name…but I’m Clara,” She smiled more genuinely and shrugged, glancing back towards the bookstore side of the shop.

“I guess you were witness to my financial woes,” She huffed, scrubbing a frustrated hand down her face and braced an elbow on the table. “Of course you were, otherwise you wouldn’t have bought the book for me,” She mumbled, frowning, entirely unimpressed with herself.

“ _Sorry_ , I’m a walking disaster on a good day and today-today has been-” When her only conclusion was to grimace, Bucky grimaced too.

“A day?” He finished for her and she laughed self-deprecatingly, her laughter clearly strainedas she nodded, pushing some of her shorter hair back behind her ear, heat building behind her eyes; but she wouldn’t cry, she wouldn’t.

Bucky’s gaze softened when he saw her clearly struggling to contain her tears. “Tell me about it?” He requested and she looked over at him in surprise.

“Y-you want to hear about my shi- _awful_ -“ She corrected. “Day?” She asked curiously.

Bucky shrugged lightly. “I’d be happy to listen, we all have them and I don’t think it can hurt to talk about it. Maybe something good could will come of it.”

She stared at him for a long moment, curious and hesitant but somehow agreeing with him. Something good had already come of it; she’d met him.

Bucky waited patiently to see if she’d open up to him and he didn’t have to wait long when only a few moments later she was nodding and blowing out a slow breath as if working herself up to it. He hadn’t known what to expect exactly, but he hadn’t really been expecting something quite like this.

“I was evicted this morning,” She explained, pinching at the bridge of her nose and screwing her eyes shut. “For too many noise complaints,” She sighed, dropping her hand and curling it back around her coffee cup.

Bucky frowned, baffled.“Noise complaints? I can’t exactly see you disturbing the peace or anything.”

At this, she hung her head and barely resisted the urge to bash it against the table. She’d just told fucking _James Buchanan Barnes,_ ** _THE_ **_Winter Soldier, but call me Bucky_ , that she’d been _evicted_ **_and_** that she didn’t even have enough money to buy a stupid book. Except, the book _wasn’t_ stupid.

 _Not even a little bit_ , she thought, sparing the bag now in her lap a quick glance.

“I play three instruments…and the tenants at my building don’t exactly think it’s as impressive as some,” She told him quietly, raising her gaze back to him and taking a deep breath. “What’s worse is, I have to be out by Wednesday and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do.”

She shrugged helplessly and frowned. “I’m at this point grateful that I at least still have my jobs, even if I hate one of them. _Well_ , I don’t _hate it_ , I hate my boss and the company-I guess I do hate my job.”

Bucky’s entire demeanour seemed to soften exponentially so, even his voice was somehow quieter when he next spoke. “ _Jobs?_ As in, _plural?_ ”

She nodded, looking down at the bits of scone and half empty cups of coffee between them. She hesitantly took another sip before explaining further. “Yeah, I’m a full-time administrative assistant and receptionist to an awful pain in the ass at a software company and I’m a server at a restaurant not far from here on Fridays and Saturdays, sometimes the odd night during the week.”

She shrugged lightly. “Most people nowadays can’t even survive with just one job, not in the city and I’m-“ She exhaled shakily. “Still trying to pay off my father’s medical bills so really, I actually need three jobs.”

“I’m so sorry,” He apologized, almost desperate in his intensity and she snapped her gaze back up to him instantly.

“Don’t be,” She said quickly. “Just a series of unfortunate circumstances,” She brushed off with a shrug and when she tried for a smile, he sort of wished she hadn’t because it was just so brittle.

“I wanted to say thank you, again,” She went on and _now_ her smile was more genuine, even if it was shy. “For the book, for being so kind, the coffee,” She looked over at him from beneath lowered lashes. “The company too…it’s not often you meet kind people in a city this big.”

Bucky nodded slowly, because yeah, he got that. “You’re very welcome, but-“ He paused, taking a calming breath. “I’d like to say thank you as well for the company and tell you that I’m happy to have met you, Clara,” He breathed, quiet and sincere.

She swallowed hard, unable to break the staring contest they’d found themselves caught in. “I’m happy to have met you too, Bucky.”

They were quiet for a long moment, both eventually dropping their gazes and taking the time to finish their scones while sipping at the last dregs of their lattes. Seemingly unable to pick up the conversation right away.

But after a minute or so of quiet had passed-

“Can I ask you something?” Bucky blurted, embarrassed at how prying that sounded; but he was curious.

She nodded slowly and he licked his lips almost reflexively before asking, “Are you by any chance, Romanian?”

Lips parting in surprise, she was already nodding before she could stop herself. “H-how did you-“

Bucky practically lit up at that. “You have this air about you and the faintest traces of an accent,” He admitted. “Do you speak it?”

“ _Da,_ ” She breathed hastily, breathless with only one word. [Yes]

“ _Asta a minunat!_ ” [That’s wonderful!]

She was staring at him with wide eyes, practically speechless.

“ _Am petrecut ceva timp acolo_ _ș_ _i am luat limba_ ,” He admitted. [I spent some time there and picked up the language.]

She exhaled shakily and nodded. “ _Iartă-mă, nu am auzit pe nimeni vorbind în limba mea maternă de ceva vreme_ _ș_ _i nu am vorbit-o eu în acela_ _ș_ _i timp._ ” [Forgive me, I have not heard anyone speak in my native tongue for some time and I have not spoken it myself in just as long.]

Bucky’s gaze softened, watching quietly as she swept away a couple of stray tears. “I’m sorry, is it uncomfortable for you?”

She smiled at him and shook her head but just as fast she was nodding. “It’s not uncomfortable, just a bit overwhelming, _sorry._ ”

“Don’t apologize, Clara. I’m sorry if I upset you-“

“You didn’t, _really_ -“ She insisted when he looked like he was about to disagree.

She reached out and placed her hand gently over his left on the table, mindful of how he tensed beneath her careful touch, the metal shivering up his shoulder and making a soft whirring noise as he tried to tamp down on his reaction.

“Being able to speak at all to someone who knows the language is-“ She shook her head and squeezed his hand gently when he made no move to pull away. “ _Mul_ _ț_ _umesc, că mi-ai permis plăcerea de a o auzi din nou_.” [Thank you, for allowing me the pleasure of hearing it again.]

“ _Cu plăcere,_ ” He whispered, his hand flexing slightly as she withdrew hers. [You’re welcome.]

Clara bit down on her lower lip hard and shook her head, surprised and delighted by this mysterious man. She huffed out a breath and glanced over his shoulder at the clock ticking away on the wall. “I’m really sorry, but I have to head off to the restaurant now for my shift,” She apologized, getting to her feet.

Bucky got up as well, watching as she buttoned up her jacket and tried not to stare when he caught a glimpse of her white blouse. “O-of course, I’m sorry to have kept you so long.”

Clara beamed at him and shook her head, dark hair fluttering about her shoulders. “I’m not, I-thank you very much for the book, Bucky and the coffee. You were right, something good did come of talking about it.”

Bucky’s gaze softened at that and he watched her sling her bag over her shoulder and lifted her case back into her arms. She paused and turned to him, her eyes sweeping over him from head to toe again, this time somehow a bit differently and he didn’t think he was imagining the slight tilt to her lips at whatever she saw in him.

“I’m glad I could help,” And he _was_ genuinely glad that he had, even if it was in such a small way.

He swallowed hard as she nodded and started to turn to leave, fiddling with her bag and he thought he could see a bit of disappointment in those dark eyes when she’d looked away. He needed to take a chance or she was going to walk away and-

“Can I borrow that?” Bucky murmured, addressing the table beside them where a younger man was sitting and taking notes.

He gestured to the man’s pen and he wordlessly handed it over with a quiet, _yeah, dude_.

Bucky nodded in thanks and hastily grabbed a spare napkin off their table and scratched down a quick note, then before he could stop himself, he grabbed the napkin and took a faltering step forwards without thinking and, “ _Wait-_ “

She stilled, not having really made much of an effort to walk away just yet. She may have been a tad reluctant in moving away at all, to be honest. Not that she’d say as much. She swallowed thickly and turned to face him properly, hopeful and nervous, curious too.

“I think I can solve your apartment problem,” He breathed in a rush. “A f-friend of mine, he-he’s a landlord of sorts and has a few buildings and he’s always looking for new tenants and I think he’d be able to help you find one on such short notice.”

Clara froze, entirely at a loss. Because _what?_

“You-you want to help me find an apartment?” She asked, clearly disbelieving.

Maybe she’d misheard-

“Of course,” He breathed, eyes wide as if to say, _why wouldn’t I?_ “You need a new apartment and I know someone who can help.”

“But, _why?_ ” She asked, incredulous and quiet, entirely baffled. “We barely even know each other. I-I’m a stranger to you.”

Bucky swallowed thickly and shrugged, ignoring the anxious whir of his arm.“I want to help because I feel like maybe we met for a reason and-“ He exhaled shakily. “Maybe we don’t have to be strangers.” He bit his lower lip nervously before taking a chance; one of many he’d taken today.

“Maybe I can give you my number and you can call me on Monday morning. I’ll see what my friend says and set you up with him to look at a couple of places and-and maybe after, if you have some time, I’d like to take you to lunch. My treat and we can get to know each other a little better.”

Clara just _looked_ at him for a moment and when she glanced down to where Bucky had his hand out in front of him, the napkin that _definitely_ had a phone number written on it held lightly between his fingers, she sort of just, _blanked._

She stared at him for what might have been too long, lips parted and eyes wide in genuine surprise because stuff like this just didn’t happen to her. What even _was_ this **_day?_**

“O-or not, you know, it’s alright, I could just have my friend call you with a couple of listings or something. I’m sorry if I overstepped-“

“ _I’d love to-_ “ She breathed, clearly startling him and maybe herself a bit too. “I-I’d like that, to have lunch with you and-“ She swallowed hard. “I would be very grateful if you passed my name along to your friend.”

Bucky eyes lit up and his cheeks filled with warmth as he smiled, shy and tentative. “ _Really?_ That’s great, I-I promise he’ll be able to help.”

“You’ve already been a great help,” She confessed, smiling warmly at him herself. “Thank you again, Bucky. For the book and the company and I promise I’ll call you on Monday.”

Bucky swallowed heavily and nodded, letting go of the napkin once she had a tentative hold on it. “I look forward to it.”

He watched as she seemed to hesitate, her grey eyes flickering back and forth over his face as if searching for something. Whatever it was, she must have found it, because she was smiling at him shyly now and ducking her head as she turned to head for the door. “Take care, Bucky.”

“You too, Clara,” He found himself murmuring, watching as she disappeared out the door.

When she turned to glance over her shoulder just through the doorway, she was surprised and immensely embarrassed to find him still standing in the middle of the cafe still smiling at her. She flushed terribly and was sure her smile was something awful as she darted out the door and down the street, her violin case bumping her as she went.

Bucky stood there for a quiet moment and exhaled shakily when the young man at the table beside him interrupted his thoughts. “ _Dude-_ “ He chuckled. “That was smooth.”

Bucky blushed lightly and looked down at the kid, watching as the guy grinned and raised his hand in a fist, something he’d seen Sam and Clint do dozens of times. He huffed and closed his metal hand in a fist and watched as the kid bumped his against the metal and grinned up at Bucky with something akin to respect in his clear blue eyes.

“ _Thanks_ ,” Bucky huffed, still smiling lightly as he handed over the pen he’d borrowed.


	2. Chapter 2

When Bucky walked out of the elevator not an hour later, a small tilt to his lips, Steve was a bit more than surprised when he looked up and saw his friend. Because for one, he had his hair pulled up in a half bun, something he’d _never_ seen the man do. He also had his personal StarkPad Tony had given him tucked under his arm and seemed to be walking with _purpose_ , calm yet confident strides towards the kitchen island where he and Tony were sitting sipping at their afternoon coffees.

“Hey,” Steve greeted, smiling over at his friend and sitting up straighter on his stool. “How was the trip to the store?”

Bucky hummed softly under his breath, something else Steve found peculiar, because usually he’d be lucky to get a grunt in response, but a _hum?_ That was new. Steve set down his book, cover up and Bucky set his own tablet down at an empty seat before heading over to the coffee machine.

With his back turned as he started fixing a cup of coffee for himself, Tony sat up straighter, noticing the different vibe Bucky was giving off. He was glad he’d been paying attention for once.

“It was nice,” Bucky admitted. “I bought a couple new books.”

Steve tried _really_ hard to reign in his smile and he knew that Tony was smiling too when he saw the genius carefully set his own StarkPad down on the countertop and turn his full attention to their friend. “That’s good, what scone did you pick this time?”

Bucky smiled down into his mug as he spooned in a bit of sugar. “Cranberry lemon.”

Steve shifted, his chest full of warmth. “Your favourite,” He noted and Bucky huffed and nodded, picking up his mug before heading back over to join them.

Tony whispered a quiet hello and Bucky seemed to somehow smile with his eyes at the genius before picking up his tablet and settling in.

Steve and Tony shared a _very_ long look with one another across the kitchen island and when Steve bit his lower lip, clearly trying to stifle whatever it was he wanted to say-to _ask-_ Tony decided he _didn’t_ want to stifle what he wanted to say.

“Did anything else happen while you were out today?” Tony probed, tone gentle yet very obviously curious.

Bucky didn’t reply right away, very much aware that he was receiving twin looks of amusement from the pair. He shrugged a bit and clicked through to _YouTube_ and opened up a separate _Google_ tab. He wasn’t exactly sure that he was ready to talk about his day yet but he knew it was going to happen eventually. He had to ask Tony for help after all. He just figured he’d wait a bit, you know, because he could.

“I-“ He cleared his throat. “I just, got coffee is all.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at that and shot Steve a curious glance, but the blond was at a bit of a loss himself. With not much more to ask without coming across as pushy, Steve shrugged and conceded defeat for the time being. Either Bucky would open up and talk to them or he wouldn’t. More often than not he’d keep quiet but eventually he’d ask a couple of awkward questions and they’d move on.

His memory was still not always reliable but the triggers were gone and he was getting more and more comfortable around the Team every day. He’d even started venturing out on his own more often, not always asking Steve to go with him and vice versa. Steve tended to worry and although he always _wanted_ to go out with Bucky, he knew that sometimes Bucky just needed to do it on his own. Giving him space, letting him make his own decisions, his own mistakes, it was really damn important that they all let him do those things.

So, they were quiet and continued to sip at their coffees while Bucky pulled out a pair of earbuds and plugged them into his tablet, only slipping one into his ear in case the pair wanted to talk to him. Which, he was sure they would eventually. He was distantly aware that Steve had picked up his book again and that Tony had started tapping away at his tablet, both returning to their own activities for the time being.

Bucky kept his questions for Tony to himself for a while, instead looking up information about the violin, the cello and the piano. He’d actually not been familiar with what exactly a cello was until he’d googled it on his walk back to the Tower. So, he busied himself for the better part of forty-minutes, listening to various musicians perform while he read as much information as he could about the instruments.

He was familiar enough with the piano, even if he didn’t play it, his sisters had. He could remember snippets of his past, Rebecca sitting at the piano, Melanie and Rachel sitting on either side of her quietly while she played. They loved to listen to their sister play; Bucky did too.

He recalled a time in France with the Howlies once too, sitting and drinking in a run down bar with a piano that had seen better days in the corner. Gabe had commandeered it for the evening. There were snippets of music scattered throughout his memories and he hoped he’d have more in time. Maybe something better than the loud rock and roll Tony liked to play whenever Bucky found himself up in the workshop.

He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone play the violin before and he hoped that somehow he’d get to see or at the very least, hearClara play the violin. He bit his lower lip gently as he thought about the young woman. He hoped he’d be able to help her, in fact, he was sure he would.

Just as he was closing out of some of his tabs, decision made to ask Tony about apartments, the genius beat him to it. Sort of. Because unlike Steve, Tony was far more impatient.

“Are you seriously not going to tell us what has you looking all-“ Tony made a strange wavy hand gesture.

Bucky raised a brow curiously at the outburst and Tony grimaced. “ _Sorry_ , I just-you’ve been humming a tune for the last _fifteen-minutes_ **_and_** you came in here looking more relaxed than I’ve _ever_ seen you and you have-you-“ Tony exhaled slowly. “You’re not hiding behind your hair today.”

Bucky blinked. He…hadn’t been aware that he’d been humming and he flushed lightly. His gaze flickered to Steve, however, when the blond let out a deep sigh and looked to Tony in exasperation.

“You weren’t supposed to draw attention to _any_ of that, Tony,” He sighed, clearly annoyed.

Tony squirmed and threw his hands up into the air. “I couldn’t help it! Have _you_ seen him like this before?”

Bucky just looked back and forth between the pair both amused and embarrassed by the conversation. He _was_ right there, after all.

Steve sighed, _again_ and fixed Tony with an unimpressed look. “Yes, Tony, I have and though it may not have been recently, I do recognize when Bucky has something important on his mind and needs time to work up to what he wants to say.”

Tony winced a bit and looked to Bucky nervously, only to find the brunet watching him with that still raised brow. Tony ducked his head. “Sorry,” He mumbled. “I’m just curious is all-“

“ _Nosy_ , more like,” Steve muttered and Tony scowled over at the man.

“Like you don’t want to be just as nosy.”

Steve rolled his eyes and when he looked about ready to argue, Bucky broke the quiet he’d been keeping.

“I…met someone today,” He confessed quietly.

Steve paused, because that sounded like he’d met a _woman_. “ _Oh?_ ”

Tony was staring at Bucky in a mixture of disbelief and awe and he didn’t seem to know what to say to that.

Bucky nodded slowly, locking his tablet and setting it down. “Yes, I met someone at the bookshop and we talked over coffee.”

“ _Really?_ ” Steve blurted and Tony fixed him with this _look_ as if to say, _really, Steve?_

Steve may have flushed with mild embarrassment, apparently just as eager to hear about this _someone_ as Tony was.

Bucky huffed lightly and it quickly drew their attention. “ _Yes_ , her name is Clara and she was having a pretty awful day so I-I wanted to cheer her up,” He shrugged. “She was in line ahead of me and her card was declined. She knew Stephanie, you know, the blonde girl who works at the shop?” Both men nodded and Bucky shifted.

“She must be a regular because they seemed to know each other, but uh, she couldn’t buy the book she wanted so she had it put aside.”

His brows pinched and he shook his head, glancing down at his mismatched hands. “She looked so upset, I-I bought the book for her and went after her and then I just-“ He shrugged. “Asked her if she wanted to get a coffee with me.”

Both men were unusually quiet and when neither said anything for a long moment, Bucky dragged his gaze up to look at them curiously. His cheeks heated when he saw both men looking at him with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

“ _What?_ ” He blurted, getting defensive.

“Sorry, Bucky, I’m sorry,” Steve apologized, quickly snapping out of it. “I’m just-that’s-“ He took a deep breath. “That’s really great to hear, Buck. That was really sweet of you, I’m sure she appreciated the gesture.”

Bucky relaxed a fraction, his shoulders uncurling from the protective position he’d started to put himself into and Steve’s gaze softened at the sight of him.

“I think-“ Tony started, _very_ carefully. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard you speak in one sitting.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, unable to stop his smile and Tony’s whole face lit up because Bucky so rarely smiled at _all_. He shrugged, biting his lower lip. “I like to listen more than talk, unlike some,” He teased and Tony grinned, right pleased.

“He _does_ have a sense of humour!” Tony crowed and Bucky huffed, folding his arms across his chest and smiling reluctantly wider.

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve sighed in exasperation, but he was smiling too.

“Sorry, _sorry,_ ” Tony apologized, still grinning. “So, _go on_ , what did you two talk about?”

He shrugged lightly, tugging absently at his shirt-sleeve as he let himself think back to their conversation. Distantly, he wondered why Steve hadn’t said that Bucky used to be _quite_ the talker. Steve never _could_ get him to shut up once he got started. Though, that may have been one of the qualities the blond liked about him.

“I asked her about her day, wanted to know what had her so upset and she told me she’d been evicted from her apartment this morning.”

He frowned at that and seemed to look off into the middle distance. “She said that the tenants had made one too many noise complaints against her because of her music and she’s got less than a week before she has to be out.”

Tony’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Does she just play her music too loud or?”

Bucky grimaced a bit. “She plays a few different instruments, it’s not like she’s blaring your uh-“ He faltered a moment. “ _Zeppelin?_ ”

Tony huffed but nodded, only rolling his eyes a teensy bit and Bucky worried at his lower lip. “Apparently, they don’t like the sound of the violin? I don’t know how anyone could dislike it,” He sighed and both men’s gazes softened.

“She seemed pretty down on her luck and then she mentioned having _two_ jobs and paying off her father’s medical bills and I just-“ He shrugged, feeling sort of helpless. “Melted a bit. I gave her my number and I-I told her I might know a really nice landlord that might have an apartment for rent on such short notice…”

He trailed off and Tony blinked when Bucky just looked at him with round hopeful eyes. “ _I’m_ the nice landlord?” He blurted, beyond surprised.

Steve snickered and Bucky’s eyes somehow grew even _more_ hopeful. “I said I’d talk to my friend and get some information for her and asked if she might call me on Monday morning for the details.”

He worried at his lower lip and looked down at his hands again. “I know you’ve got that new building and I know it’s still under construction, but I was wondering if I could maybe-maybe I could buy one of the units?” He asked, looking up at him from beneath lowered lashes.

Tony’s heart practically _lurched_ at the sight. “You want to _buy_ _a_ **_condo?_** ”

“You want to move out?” Steve breathed, beyond devastated at the mere _thought_ of Bucky leaving.

“ _No-_ “ Bucky rushed out, reaching out in an attempt to console his friend and then stilling before he made contact. “I-I don’t want to move out, Stevie.”

Steve exhaled shakily and nodded, glancing down at where Bucky’s flesh hand was still hovering between them. He swallowed hard and turned his hand over so that it was palm up, breathing a little easier when Bucky gently settled his palm in his. “ _Sorry_ , I just-“

Bucky shook his head, brows pinched in concern as he squeezed Steve’s hand gently. “I don’t want to move out, Stevie. I was hoping to buy the condo for _Clara._ ”

Steve blinked and slowly looked to Tony who appeared just as lost as he did. “You want to buy a condo for this woman you only just met?” Steve asked him, trying to keep his voice void of judgement.

Bucky grimaced slightly, drawing his hand back and shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I know how it probably sounds-“

“I don’t think you do,” Tony mumbled and Bucky huffed.

“You didn’t see her, Tony. She was so upset, in tears and she said she works two jobs and one of her bosses is an asshole. She’s only got until Wednesday to pack up and move out, _Wednesday_ , Tony. That’s only four days away. She’ll never find a place on such short notice and she’s got medical bills to consider. She’s not in any state to-“

“ _Bucky-_ “ Tony cut in and the brunet snapped his jaw shut so fast he was sure it clicked. “Just…take a breath for us, okay?”

Bucky exhaled shakily before he did as asked and then took another couple for good measure. When he looked back over at Tony, he frowned, because Tony was smiling at him, kind and patient and so much like Steve and-

Sure enough, he glanced over to Steve to find his friend smiling at him fondly, big blue puppy dog eyes as devastating as ever.

“The condo is yours, Bucky. You can do whatever you want with it and if you want to give it to Clara, then you can give it to Clara, okay?” Tony told him gently.

Bucky looked between the pair warily, disbelief written in the lines of his face. “You-you’d do that, for me? L-let me have it _and_ let me give it away?”

Tony smiled at him so fondly it sort of hurt to look at him. “Yes, Bucky. _Hell_ , if you want the whole damn building, it’s yours. You can fill it with whoever you like, Pepper will be mad at me, but that’s nothing new,” He laughed and Bucky shook his head, utterly baffled.

“But… _why?_ ” He asked, his voice impossibly small.

Tony sighed, smiling patiently at their friend. “Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before and I have to admit, Steve calling you a teddy-bear when he talks about you to the kids downtown makes _so_ much more sense now.”

Steve flushed lightly but when Bucky looked to him, still a bit lost, Steve merely shrugged and smiled bashfully back. “Bucky, since you walked in that door you’ve been more your old self than I’ve seen you in a very long time,” Steve confessed. “You caring enough about a complete stranger to want to help them? _That’s_ the Bucky Barnes I remember and I know we both may be different now, but your heart is still the same.”

Bucky swallowed thickly and ducked his head, wishing he’d left his hair down to better hide behind. He’d been feeling good about himself upon getting back to the compound and had spent a couple minutes in front of the mirror. Nat was always telling him to get his hair out of his eyes and he had a hair tie, so…

He exhaled shakily and shrugged his good shoulder. He felt more and more like himself every day and he wasn’t naive enough to believe he’d ever be the same man, no one was, not even Steve but he was right. Since meeting Clara, he’d spoken probably more in the last few hours than he had all _month_ **_and_** he felt so much more like the old him and he knew Steve was right, wasn’t he usually?

“I want to do this for her,” He admitted, raising his gaze from where it’d fallen to the countertop. “There was something about her eyes, like they’d seen more than-like she’d seen things no person should-“ He frowned. “I can’t explain it, but you’re right, I do feel more like myself than I have in a very long time and I-“ He breathed out roughly through his nose. “I want to do this for her. I want to help her.”

Steve’s smile was so warm and reassuring that Bucky relaxed under the weight of it. He turned his attention to Tony then and found the man smiling at him, chin propped up in the palm of his hand. “The condo is yours to do what you will with it, Bucky and you don’t need to pay me a dime for it and before you argue-“ He went on, grinning when Bucky looked about ready to do just that. “I’m going to tell you a few other things.”

Bucky paused, pursing his lips tightly together in an attempt to keep from interrupting the man. Tony’s smile only grew at the sight.

“I can put the condo in her name right off the bat, if that would make you happy. I can _also-_ “ Tony stressed, narrowing his eyes when Bucky started to open his mouth. “Have her medical bills taken care of.”

Bucky stilled entirely, that sort of eerie stillness he’d become so accustomed to as the Soldier coming second nature to him when he needed it. Tony’s gaze softened, recognizing that Bucky usually called on bits of the Soldier when he wasn’t sure how to express himself properly and merely wanted to remain void of all expression. It was eerie and not the greatest way to handle it, but it was usually only for a minute or so as he parsed out how he was feeling. Even Nat did it on occasion and Tony certainly had his own way of handling emotion.

“All I need is a bit more to go on than just a first name,” He added, smiling kindly at the brunet.

Bucky swallowed and blew out a steady breath, facial expression slowly relaxing into something softer. “C-can I do that for her, pay her medical bills? I only have her first name, but she said she worked at a restaurant just around the corner from the bookshop and she was wearing a white blouse with a logo on it. It was a rose in white thread and had an _A_ on one of the petals. Does that help?”

“It does and I might know the restaurant,” He admitted and when Bucky’s brows rose, Tony smiled warmly. “One of Happy’s favourites, actually. It’s been a while since I’ve been there.”

“ _Oh_ , that’s-that’s good that you know it then.”

Tony chuckled quietly and shook his head. “And I get you wanting to help pay her medical bills, but I think it might be best if I do it.”

“Why though?”

“Because,” He shrugged and when Bucky and Steve both rolled their eyes he added, “if you want to get to know her, let’s say, then it’s best if you start your friendship out without her feeling like she owes you anything. If I make it know that it was all me, thanks to your kind request for an apartment, maybe she won’t think so highly of you.”

He smirked and Bucky wanted to bang his head against the counter. Instead, he rolled his eyes and sighed. “Oh no, we can’t have that,” He deadpanned.

“ _Exactly-_ “ Tony announced and Steve snickered when Bucky rolled his eyes, _again_.

“Alright, so if you get to give her the condo and take care of her bills, what do I get to do?” Bucky asked on a sigh.

When Tony practically _beamed_ at him, Bucky’s expression turned a tad wary. “I’m so glad you asked, _Bucky bear_ ,” Tony grinned. “You know that door between my apartment and the one you two share?”

Bucky nodded slowly. He was sure that door led into Tony’s suite. Did it not?

“That door,” Tony told him, tone gentled. “Leads to an apartment meant for you. It’s a mirror image of your apartment with Steve. I was going to offer it to you when you came back, but…I saw how much you needed to be close to Steve and I didn’t think an apartment next door was going to quite cut it.”

Bucky swallowed hard. He…honestly hadn’t known that. “Oh.”

Tony eyes crinkled with the force of his smile he picked up his StarkPad and tapped away at the screen for a minute. “So, that apartment is currently unfinished. _Well,_ there’s some furniture, appliances, the washer dryer and such. The kitchen is fully functioning as well. But there’s no _personal touches_ , so to speak and that’s-“ Tony paused, turning the tablet around and offering it to Bucky. “Is where you come in. I’d like you to pick out all the things you think you would like because even if you don’t want to move in there right now, I think it might be nice to offer Clara the space while the construction wraps up.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Seemed to be all Bucky was currently capable of saying.

He took the offered tablet and looked down to see it set up to a shopping catalog he didn’t recognize. Not that he was surprised by that exactly.

“How does all that sound?” Tony asked, propping his chin up in his palm again, eyes still crinkled and a light blush colouring his cheeks when he noticed Steve positively _beaming_ at him out of the corner of his eye.

Bucky blinked down at the screen and slowly raised his gaze to Tony and nodded weakly. “Really good.”

Tony’s smile widened further. “That’s great, Bucky. So listen, I’m going to do a bit of digging, find out a bit more about her-“

“ _Don’t-_ don’t dig too much, please? I don’t want to know anything she hasn’t told me and-“ He exhaled shakily. “Just…don’t push her, okay? She’s going to call me on Monday morning and I said I’d maybe have a few listings for her to look at if she wanted.”

Tony nodded. “That’s fair, do you want me to wait on paying off her medical stuff?”

Bucky nodded. “ _Please?_ I think I’d like to talk to her first, I um…sort of asked her out to lunch so, maybe after?”

“You asked her out to lunch?” Steve blurted, already impressed with the fact that he’d even _spoken_ to a stranger _and_ given her his number to boot and when Bucky looked at him and saw how _proud_ Steve was, he couldn’t help blushing hotly.

“Yes?”

Steve made a soft noise and tried to cover it up with a cough, to which Bucky squirmed uncomfortably and Tony grinned. “See, at least _he’s_ charming, Steve. At least he knows how to ask a girl out.”

Steve grumbled something under his breath that had Bucky’s brows furrowing and Tony narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

“But of course, Bucky. I won’t do anything until you say it’s alright, _fair?_ ”

Bucky nodded and glanced down at the tablet in his hands. “You really want me to shop for the apartment?”

“It’s _your_ apartment when all is said and done, if you want it,” Tony added. “But listen, I’ve got something to do in the lab, _Steve?_ ” He asked, staring pointedly at the blond.

Steve’s brow ticked up. “ _Yes?_ ”

“I have that uh, that _thing_ you wanted drawn up, did you want to come up and take a look with me?”

Steve cleared his throat, knowing there _definitely_ wasn’t a _thing_ he’d wanted drawn up. “Of course, Tony.”

“ _Great!_ ” Tony announced. “ _So_ , you’ll let me know when you need me, in the meantime, I’ll make sure the condo is taken off the market and have Pepper furnish it for her, sound good?”

Bucky nodded, a timid smile tugging at his lips. “That sounds good, Tony and-and thank you, thank you for helping.”

Tony shrugged, already up and off his stool and waved a hand dismissively as he rounded the island. Before he could walk past Bucky, the brunet reached out, metal hand clasping lightly over Tony’s elbow and the genius instantly stilled.

Touch was something Bucky still struggled with and very much so and to have him initiate it was a rare thing and he’d already reached out to _Steve_ today and now him? He swallowed hard and glanced up into Bucky’s face and yes, _up_ because even sitting, Bucky was taller than him.

“Thank you, Tony,” He breathed. “I mean that.”

Tony nodded, even if a bit stiltedly. “I know you do,” He admitted, telegraphing his movements as he reached up to pat Bucky’s shoulder lightly. “Go on up and check out the apartment, yeah?”

“Okay,” He agreed, smiling softly as Tony nodded and slipped past.

He couldn’t help ducking his head as Steve shot him a pleased smile. “See you later, Stevie.”

“See you later, Buck,” He hummed, bumping the brunet’s shoulder lightly with his own, chest warming when Bucky pressed right back.

Of course as they passed behind him, he missed the very much conspiring look the pair shared. He should have known better than to trust Tony not to meddle.

.

“We’ve got a name and a reservation at the restaurant she works at-“

“Her schedule, her banking information, her address, _her-_ “ Steve went on, ticking off things on his fingers as he went.

Tony cleared his throat, shooting him a nervous grin. “Let’s pretend that we don’t, okay?”

Steve rolled his eyes and grunted noncommittally which only made Tony purse his lips. “Come on, handsome. We don’t want to be late,” He sighed, heading for the elevator, Steve following along easily enough.

“It’s you, Tony. Pretty sure you could be late to anything and people would still think the sun shines out your ass,” Steve sighed, adjusting his tie and Tony grinned as he slipped into the elevator, asking Jarvis to bring them to the garage.

“Aww, you’re just saying that so I’ll buy you dinner. Does that mean _you_ think the sun shines out my ass?” Tony teased and Steve tried to bite back a smile.

“ _Nope-_ “ He said, popping the _p_ obnoxiously, heart fluttering when Tony winked at him. “And when have you ever let me pay for dinner?” He muttered and Tony snickered at him.

Steve rolled his eyes but it was more fond than anything. “Are you _sure_ Bucky won’t suspect something’s up?”

“No way, he’s up in the apartment already and I’ve sent Nat a message to pay him a visit, see if he needs help and besides, what’s he going to say about me taking a friend to dinner? We always go out together,” Tony shrugged, as if it were no big deal, shooting a quick smile over his shoulder as he stepped out of the elevator and beelined it to the cars.

Steve exhaled slowly as he watched Tony fly ahead of him to pick out a car for their evening. How he ever decided which one he wanted to take out was a mystery to Steve. “Hey, Tony?” He called quietly, a couple paces behind the man.

“ _Hmm?_ ” The brunet hummed, distracted now as he tried to decide between the midnight blue and the black Audi.

Steve bit his lower lip lightly and rubbed nervously at the back of his neck as he followed his friend around. “Do you think, maybe this time…we could go out as _more_ than friends, to dinner?” He attempted to clarify.

“ _More than-_ “ Tony started to repeat, curious and confused, only to pause half way through.

He stopped, hand outstretched towards the handle on the black Audi, plain but elegant, always reliable. It was unfortunate it wasn’t something he could rely on right this moment. He turned, gaze flickering up and uh, _up_ a bit more.

Steve was smiling tentatively down at him from less than a foot away, looking shy and sweet- _hopeful-_ and far too handsome for his own damn good. Tony was _screwed_.

“You want to go to dinner with me as… _more_ than friends?” Tony asked slowly.

Steve swallowed hard and bobbed his head in a nod. “Yeah, I-“ He cleared his throat and shrugged. “I know we’ve gone out as friends a lot recently and I just t-thought that maybe this time, we could go out as something more.”

Tony’s lips curled into a small smile, sultry and so full of promise and yeah, _okay_. Maybe Steve was the one who was screwed.

“Are you asking me out to dinner, _Captain Rogers?_ ” Tony asked, voice lilting teasingly.

Steve blushed and scratched absently at the back of his neck. “Uh, well… _actually_ , Steve Rogers is asking you to dinner…even if it was you who made the reservation.”

Tony huffed softly, a slow grin taking over. “Well, good. Because I might have had to say _no thanks_ to the other guy, he’s a total stick in the mud.”

Steve grinned bashfully and shrugged, his hand dropping back to his side. “So, what do you say? Want to go to dinner with Steve Rogers?” He asked hopefully.

Tony’s gaze softened as he looked up at the blond through his lashes, dark eyes practically shimmering with happiness. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

Steve’s smile was so happy it hurt. Tony sort of felt that in his _bones_. He exhaled shakily and looked down at the car he’d picked out.“You know what? Let’s take the white one.”

Steve raised a brow. “ _Which_ white one?” He chuckled, looking down the line of cars and spotting at least eight white ones.

Tony grinned and motioned Steve forward. “How about you surprise me?” He suggested, placing his hand to Steve’s lower back.

He made a soft noise as Tony’s palm pressed down lightly in an attempt to guide him and if the back of his neck was bright red, well, at least Tony didn’t comment.

.

“Any sign of her?”

Steve shifted in his seat and shook his head, absently tugging at his cuffs. “Not yet, though, I’m not exactly sure I know what I’m looking for.”

Tony chuckled and took a sip of his sparkling water. “According to her medical records-“

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve sighed in exasperation and the brunet’s nose scrunched up adorably.

“ _What?_ I needed to know what we were working with here, what do you want from me? You know I hate going in blind,” He muttered, glancing around the space, grateful they’d arrived after the evening rush.

Steve fixed his friend with a flat look as if to say, _really?_ Because that was a load of-

He sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Uh huh,” Was all he decided to say on the matter.

Tony smirked and glanced down at his closed menu and Steve’s open one. “Do you know what you’d like?”

Biting his lower lip, he nodded, looking over the menu again. “I think so, but is there anything you would recommend? I know you said you’ve been here with Happy before.”

“Oh, definitely, _here-_ “ Tony started, leaning over their table and pointing out a couple of things.

With their heads bent low while they chatted with one another, they were more than distracted enough so as not to notice when the young brunette stepped out of the kitchen and walked to one of the small server’s areas…where she then proceeded to have a bit of a panic attack.

.

“Are you _serious_ right now?” She hissed.

Harold grimaced slightly and reluctantly nodded. “Mr. Stark specifically asked for you, Clara. Do you know him? _Either_ of them?”

“ _No,_ I don’t know them, Harold-“ She hissed, running a nervous hand through her hair and making a right mess of it.

He winced and reached out to try and fix it for her but when she shot him a withering look, he reluctantly dropped his hand. “He’s requested that you and only you wait on them tonight and it was a last minute reservation-“

She grumbled under her breath something he couldn’t quite make out and he grimaced, powering through. “I’ve given your tables to the other servers.”

The absolutely hurt look she sent his way had him frowning apologetically. “I’m sorry, but he requested that you have no other tables to distract you and he said you would be compensated for the loss of your tips. He’d like your _full, undivided attention_ for the evening.”

She inhaled deeply and then let it out nice and slow, because if she didn’t, she might just panic. She glanced away as she tried to smooth out her hair, undoing the mess she’d made of it.

“You really don’t know him?”

“No,” She sighed, clearly exasperated as she adjusted her apron and wiped away any potential mascara goop from beneath her eyes; she hoped her eyeliner was still in tact at least and would it be too much to ask for the bags under her eyes not to be so terrible? “But I have a feeling I know why they’re here.”

“ _Really?_ ”

She hummed quietly. “I’ll tell you about it later, if Stark doesn’t chew me to bits first.”

“ _Oh_ , I don’t think he would, not in front of Captain America,” He scoffed and Clara’s smile was faint.

“My saving grace then,” She sighed and Harold grimaced.

She didn’t move from the little cubby they were in, both half hidden behind one of the dividers between dining room and the pathway to the kitchen. “Are you alright?”

Clara could only sigh. “I’m not really sure.”

He frowned and patted her lightly on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine, let me know if you need anything and whatever he wants-“

“He gets,” She finished, adjusting her shirt and making sure she didn’t have anything staining the front of her apron.

To an extent,” He reasoned, watching her quietly for a moment as she tried to pull herself together.

He wasn’t sure that he’d ever seen her quite so uncomfortable before. It wasn’t like she hadn’t served other celebrities but this was clearly something she hadn’t been expecting.

“Wish me luck,” She breathed and before he could even do so, she was slipping past him.

And just like that, she was out in the open and standing within sight of their table. “ _Fuck_ -“ She breathed, swallowing thickly, because sure enough there was Tony Stark and-

“Holy fucking shit-“ She gasped. “ _I can’t do this_ -“

But of course at her gasp and-oh dear _lord-_ ** _curses_** , Steve Rogers’ gaze snapped to her from across the dining space. Because of fucking _course_ he heard her from all the goddamn way over here.

She let out a very shaky exhale and she knew she was smiling weakly as her feet reluctantly started to drag her towards their table. But she could do this, maybe, _probably_. She turned her server’s smile up to 11 and hoped for the best. She was _beyond_ nervous but there really was nothing for it. This was her job and she was damn good at it…most days.

.

“I- _Tony_ , I think I see her.”

“Really?” He asked curiously, obviously excited by the prospect, already sitting up straighter in his seat.

“Yeah, she-she looks a bit frazzled, uh, _a lot_ frazzled,” He chuckled quietly. “She’s heading this way, so maybe go easy on her?”

Tony smirked and stretched his arm out along the back of the booth’s seat, swiftly unbuttoning his suit jacket and winking at Steve when the blond’s gaze flickered over his now sprawled form. Tony wasn’t stupid. He knew how to look damned good. Not that he ever _didn’t_ look damned good.

Steve inhaled deeply at the sight of him and when Tony bit his lower lip lightly and _winked_ , the soft embarrassed sound that got caught in his throat had Tony’s grin turning near feral. “I don’t go easy on you, darling, why would you expect me to go easy on her?”

Steve’s mouth dropped open and he was about to practically beg Tony to _play nice_ , but of course that’s when Clara arrived at their table.

“Good evening, Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers,” She greeted, voice only a bit shaky.

She was proud of herself for all of a second before they both turned to acknowledge her, giving her their undivided attention. She wanted to laugh manically and instead forced her legs to firm up to keep her from practically dropping to the floor. These were _very_ important men and she had no idea if they were upset with her or-or _something-_

“ _Well_ , hello there,” Tony greeted, making a show of looking her up and down.

As intended, a warm blush instantly started to overwhelm her features and Tony only just managed not to look over at Steve when the blond let out a resigned sigh. He was so used to Tony being a flirt by now but seeing him go out of his way to do so was sort of his limit.

“H-hello, Mr. Stark,” She returned, swallowing hard as she averted her gaze. “I’m-“

“ _Clara?_ ”

Oh, _yep_ they knew _exactly_ who she was. _Great,_ she thought wildly. They were definitely pissed at her. For what, she wasn’t entirely sure just yet.

“ _Yes_ ,” She agreed, gaze flickering nervously to Steve, the blond somehow smiling kindly with just his eyes. “And I’ll be your server for this evening.”

“As requested, _yes_ ,” Tony interrupted, leaning forward and planting his elbow on the table, palm cradling his chin to better look at her.

Her gaze remained on him for a moment before flickering towards Steve as if asking for assistance and Steve really was ready to give it to her, maybe even scold Tony but-

“I think we’re ready to order, actually,” Tony stated, picking up their menus and rattling off about half a dozen appetizers and four different entrees.

“We’d also like a bottle of sparkling, nothing terribly dry, he likes a bit of sugar-“

Steve rolled his eyes but he was smiling so Tony merely winked at him before turning his attention back to the young woman.

“Of course, Mr. Stark, would you like to try a sparkling rosé? There is a lovely bottle of _Ruinart Brut Rosé_ and although it does have a lower sugar content, it has some wonderfully sweet caramelized sugar and rhubarb notes that might compliment some of the appetizers and the fish entree you’ve chosen.”

Tony looked to Steve and the blond nodded, gaze flickering back to Clara. “That sounds lovely, I’ve not had a sparkling rosé before.”

“ _Perfect_ -“ Tony declared. “We’ll have a bottle of the _Ruinart_ then and feel free to double the order on the mushrooms. They go down like wine themselves,” He chuckled and watched as Clara’s lips twitched.

“They are quite good,” She agreed, gaze flickering to Steve when he made a curious sound. “I will be back shortly with your champagne. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Tony’s smile was slow to spread but Steve recognized it for what it was and nudged Tony’s shin beneath the table. “That’s it for now,” Steve interrupted, raising a brow warningly at Tony when he glanced over, clearly ready to interject. “Thank you, miss,” He added, smiling at her and ignoring Tony entirely now.

“O-of course,” She managed, swallowing thickly as she nodded to them both, turning and practically fleeing towards the bar.

“You’re no fun,” Tony pouted and Steve rolled his eyes.

“She was shaking, Tony and for a moment there I was sure her heart was going to give out on her, it was beating so fast.”

Tony grimaced. “It’s creepy how you can hear that, you do know that, right?”

Steve huffed and fixed Tony with a flat look. “It’s not like I can exactly help it.”

Tony shrugged, sitting back in his seat. “Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. _I_ don’t know what the serum did to you, not really.”

Steve narrowed his eyes as Tony picked lightly at the tablecloth and averted his gaze, rather fidgety all of a sudden. _Huh_. “I’m sure you’d like to find out what it did to me, what it’s capable of.”

Tony’s gaze flickered up to settle on him and watched the blond, a slight flush rising to his cheeks when Steve smirked at him. “I’m sure you’d like to see _exactly_ what it’s capable of, you are a scientist after all.”

Tony swallowed hard because he was pretty sure Steve was fucking with him or _something_ ,because not once had Tony ever really explicitly _asked_ what all the serum had changed in him. He knew it was a sore spot when people pointed things out so plainly about his eating habits or his physique or really, anything above _ordinary_ in a baseline human. So like, _everything_ then.

But he’d seen his father’s notes growing up, seen the way Steve ate, how fast he ran, how strong he was, but it was more than just a scientific curiosity at this point. He wanted to know what made _Steve_ work, not just the serum.

“I am,” He agreed slowly, regaining some of his footing as he fixed the blond with an intent look. “But I think I’m more interested in your general Steve- _ness_ than anything and although I might be curious about the serum, my curiosity is not entirely scientific when it comes to my _particular_ interests.”

Steve arched a blond brow, head tilting like an adorable puppy. “And what are your _particular interests?_ ”

“You sure you want to ask me that, Steven? We are in public after all,” He said teasingly, delighted when Steve’s cheeks pinked.

“I’m not a blushing virgin, Tony-“

“ _Oh_ , you are totally blushing right now, Steve. I hate to break it to you.”

Steve huffed, his blush only worsening as he quickly glanced away. “ _Still_.”

“Alright, _fine,_ ” Tony conceded. “My _particular_ interests may have something to do with the benefits of the serum in the bedroom.”

Steve stilled, bright blue eyes snapping back to meet Tony’s chocolate orbs. He swallowed thickly and blew out a slow breath when he saw the man smiling at him perhaps a touch hungrily.

“That so?”

Tony hummed, picking up his glass of water to take a sip, reclining back against the cushions and cocking his head slightly as he observed the blond. “Guess you’ll just have to find out.”

Steve exhaled sharply through his nose and glanced away, the sound of Clara’s footsteps drawing closer reaching his ears. They’d been dancing around each other for far too long now and he wasn’t going to let this slip through his fingertips again. Not tonight.

“ _Tease_ ,” He practically growled and he shot Tony a quick glance when he heard the man’s hitched breath, the leap in his heart rate.

The serum did have its perks. He hoped Tony would get to find out _all_ about them.

“Your champagne, gentlemen,” Clara interrupted unknowingly.

They greeted her with warm smiles and soon she’d opened the bottle and poured them both a flute. Tony behaved himself and allowed her to do so without much conversation, merely quiet _thank you_ ’s here and there. She was quite obviously still nervous and kept casting quick glances to Tony and then to Steve and vice versa as if waiting for them to do something; what exactly, they weren’t sure.

Tony didn’t particularly care for it and neither did Steve, especially when the blond reached out to move one of the candles at their table a bit further out of the way and she flinched. Steve apologized quietly for having startled her but she only smiled and apologized herself before refilling their water glasses.

Tony had softened some when she’d come back to the table and he took notice that she was still trembling while she poured their wine. He shared a concerning look with Steve at her flinch, however, she thankfully too busy to notice right then and the blond’s gaze flickered over her once again as if looking for something. Whatever it was, he didn’t find it.

With the promise of returning soon with their appetizers, they let her go, Tony’s gaze following her all the way to one of the server’s stations. Where she stood by herself and let her gaze flicker around the rest of the dining room.

“That was…odd,” Tony admitted and Steve hummed, considering.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” Steve worried, voice quiet as he took a sip of his champagne.

Tony shook his head. “No- _no-_ now I’m more than sure this was a good idea. Bucky might be a bit mad, but I know I’ll win him over with a few more good deeds.”

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What exactly are you planning to do? I thought this was just to say hello and to maybe get a feel for her motives.”

“It is, really, I just-I’m curious, _alright?_ Bucky was over the moon about this girl and she’s nothing like what I imagined. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

Steve let out a shaky breath and nodded. Because yeah, of course he was. Bucky practically had _stars_ in his damned eyes while he’d talked about her and Steve would be a lying liar if he said he wasn’t the least bit curious. Bucky rarely spoke more than half a dozen words any given day to them and to hear him speak so _clearly_ about a complete _stranger?_ Steve was far more than simply curious about her, that was for damned sure.

“Okay, fine, I’m curious,” He confessed. “I’m just not sure that our being here is going to help either of them.”

“Of course it will,” Tony scoffed, grinning over at his friend. “You’ve just got to let me talk to her is all.”

Steve huffed, eyes already rolling. “I’m afraid you’re going to traumatize her.”

Tony grimaced, thinking back to the slight flinch she’d given. “I’m concerned about her too, Steve. I’m not trying to upset her. Bucky said he saw something in her eyes, don’t you see it too?”

Steve’s gaze flickered over his face because yes, he had. He exhaled slowly and nodded and before Tony could say anything more, Clara came back to the table with a large tray full of food and a folding table; all of their appetizers hot and smelling _delicious._

Steve was maybe a bit more distracted than he would have liked. Tony, on the other hand? Thrilled would have been a bit of an understatement. He listened intently as she spoke the name of each dish as she laid them out on the table between them and he was pleased to note that she’d doubled up some of the smaller appetizer portions, no doubt for their resident super soldier. He was happy she’d thought to do so and secretly thanked her for not making a big deal about it.

“This all looks wonderful,” Steve admitted, beaming as he took in the sight of the little crab stuffed mushrooms along with everything else she’d brought them.

“I hope they’re all to your liking, _please_ let me know if there is anything else I can get for you. How are you enjoying the champagne?” Clara asked, smiling warmly at them both but clearly looking to Steve for his opinion on the wine.

“ _Oh_ , it’s lovely. I actually think I prefer this to almost all the other white champagnes I’ve tried. They can be a little too uh, _plain_.”

“That’s because you only have champagne when we go out to functions and they only ever have the dry ones. You have a sweet tooth and yet you insist on trying them because they all have _bubbles_ ,” Tony chuckled, delighted when Steve blushed lightly and shrugged.

“I like the fizz,” He mumbled, gaze dropping down to the assortment of appetizers. “These do look wonderful though.”

She nodded, smiling warmly, her gaze flickering towards Tony, the genius’ dark eyes already fixed on her. “I hope you enjoy them. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

Steve shook his head, already trying to decide what he wanted to eat first, meanwhile, Tony was watching her intently. “Nothing you need to go get, darling,” He told her, Steve’s gaze moving to settle on her and then Tony.

Tony was a sweet-talker, Steve knew and it didn’t bother him, he was just a bit wary of the man going a bit too far with his teasing. Clara was a lot more shy than he expected and he wasn’t entirely sure if it was because of them or if it was just her.

“Oh, alright, I’ll be back to check on you shortly so please enjoy your appetizers-“

“Ah, _ah_ ,” Tony chided. “Not so fast. Are you truly in a hurry to escape my pleasant company?”

Steve snorted inelegantly and Tony shot him an exasperated smile. “ _Tony_ , I thought you were going to play nice.”

“I never agreed to anything of the sort,” He proclaimed, smile softening when he took in Clara’s startled expression.

“I’m not in any sort of h-hurry,” She tried, flushing lightly. “I just wanted to let you enjoy your appetizers.”

“Of course,” He agreed, motioning to the blond. “Go ahead and try the crab stuffed mushrooms, Steve. They’re delicious.”

Steve stared at Tony for a long moment before doing just that. Of course it was while Clara was watching him, curious as to whether he would enjoy it, Tony’s curious gaze lingering on him for a moment when Steve hummed around his mouthful, enjoying it-it was delicious, okay?-that Tony decided to ask, “So, we hear you met our friend today.”

Steve wanted to groan, as such, he was too busy enjoying a mouthful of mushroomy deliciousness to do so.

“I believe I did, y-yes,” She agreed, tone soft, sounding almost frightened even.

Tony’s gaze flickered down momentarily to where she was worrying at the hem of her apron and back up into her worried face. “Are we making you uncomfortable?”

“W-what? _No_ , of course not-“ She spluttered and Tony shook his head.

“You look like you’re afraid I’m going to take a bite out of you,” He huffed and she made a soft distressed sound.

“I-I’m sorry, I just-you’re both here to-to- _I don’t know-_ warn me off talking to Bucky or something, aren’t you?” She blurted, both men momentarily surprised to hear her call him _Bucky_ and not James.

“We’re not here to do anything like that,” Steve assured her, looking up at her with a deeply concerned furrow between his brows.

“You’re not?”

They both shook their heads and watched as she almost instantly deflated, her shoulders dropping from around her ears as she did so. “Take a deep breath, darling,” Tony insisted, smiling at her kindly. “We only came to meet you.”

“ _Oh-_ “ She breathed, relieved and surprised and relieved again.

“Can I ask how you met, Bucky?” Tony asked her, watching her intently.

Her grey-blue eyes flickered between the pair, Steve looking wholly apologetic and Tony looking very much intrigued, even if they both still looked rather concerned. “At a bookshop not far from here, he bought a book for me,” She confessed quietly. “When I was unable to purchase it myself,” She added, glancing down at the floor, a shameful flush rising to her cheeks.

Tony shifted at her downcast gaze, she looked very much withdrawn and far more than embarrassed at having a card simply decline. Even if they set her at ease as to why they were here, she was obviously still having trouble with it all.

He almost missed her next words, however, because they were even more quiet. “But I’m sure you already knew that.”

“We’re sorry for prying,” Steve told her, tone perhaps more firm than necessary as he fixed Tony with a pointed stare, the genius only grimacing a bit. “We’re honestly just curious about you is all.”

At this, she looked up from the floor, gaze flickering between the two men. She was confused but didn’t have the heart to ask the _why_ that was on the tip of her tongue.

“Don’t you want to know why?” Tony prompted, watching her intently.

She shrugged and glanced away nervously. “It’s probably the same question I had for Bucky when he told me he wanted to help me find an apartment.”

“And what question was that?” Tony hummed, head tilted curiously.

She shifted uncomfortably but forced her gaze back on him. “Why does Bucky want to help me in the first place?”

Tony winked. “ _Bingo._ ”

She huffed and looked down at the table laden with food and their nearly empty glasses of water. Without thinking, she reached for the carafe in the middle of the table and refilled their glasses, both murmuring a quiet thank you as she set the carafe down again.

“Admittedly, that is why we’re here,” Steve confessed gently. “He was very, uh, _animated_ when he came home this afternoon.”

At this, her gaze snapped up to him in obvious confusion. Because _animated_ could mean any number of things, surely.

“You mean you _didn’t_ ask me out to dinner purely for my wonderful company?” Tony fake gasped and Steve rolled his eyes, fondly annoyed but that was sort of his permanent state around the man these days.

“I’m regretting it already, _obviously_ ,” Steve sighed, but his lips twitched and Clara found herself smiling slightly at the interaction. “ _But-_ “ He went on, turning his attention back to her. “Bucky spoke about you, just a bit-“ He clarified when he saw her shift nervously. “And asked Tony if he might know of an apartment to rent.”

She nodded, gaze flickering back to Tony who agreed. “He did ask and I told him I have an apartment in need of a new tenant. It’s got a terrible view you see, on the smaller side, perfect for one person, really-“

“I’d love to rent it,” She blurted, hasty and suddenly breathless. “I’d be happy to.”

Tony paused, gaze lingering on her for a moment. “It’s yours,” He agreed easily. “Unfortunately, it’s under construction at the moment and won’t be ready for another few weeks and I understand you need it rather soon…”

Clara’s face fell and she nodded. “By Wednesday,” She sighed, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.

“Well then, that’s perfect!” He announced and Clara blinked in confusion while Steve just looked at Tony with an unimpressed expression on his handsome face.

“It…is?” She asked, brow furrowed adorably and Tony smiled at her warmly.

“Of course, I’ll make sure you’re looked after until then. But enough about that-“ He paused, turning to look at Steve and motioning to the food. “It’s going to get cold if you don’t eat it,” He warned.

Steve rolled his eyes but made a point of starting to nibble at some of the dishes. “Aren’t _you_ going to have some?”

Tony shrugged, smiling sweetly. “Maybe a couple of the stuffed mushrooms and calamari,” He agreed, picking up one on the little fork at his right.

Steve rolled his eyes, because Tony _always_ did this. Ordered too much and then just let him eat it all. He was well past feeling guilty about eating it all to himself, however. He maybe enjoyed how Tony tended to watch him while he did so. So there was that.

“As I was saying,” Tony continued, turning back to Clara, who had been standing there in abject confusion for far too long now. “What do you do for work, Clara? You obviously work here on weekends, but what about your day job?”

She exhaled shakily, because that definitely hadn’t been what he’d been saying. She shook it off and chalked it up to one of his quirks and shifted, wanting very much to run and hide right then. “I work at a software company-“

“Which one?” Tony interrupted, popping one of the mushrooms into his mouth.

She shifted uncomfortably under his knowing stare. “Rumlow Incorporated,” She managed, watching as Tony’s eyes narrowed, waiting for her to continue. “I’m an administrative assistant to Mr. Rumlow and his personal secretary.”

“ _Uh huh-_ “ He huffed, rather hastily. “And is that full-time?”

“Yes-“

“ _Benefits?_ ”

“No, but-“

“What about pay? How much does he pay you-“

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve interrupted. “You don’t have to answer that, Clara.”

She made a soft noise then and watched as Tony frowned, gaze flickering over her features. “Not enough to deal with Brock, though, is it?”

Clara’s lips parted, jaw dropping a bit because of _course_ Tony Stark knew who her boss was. She hadn’t doubted he knew of the company she worked for or even about the fact that she worked there in general. But knowing her boss to be able to ask her a question like _that?_ She hadn’t anticipated that in the least.

“No,” She admitted with barely more than a breath.

Tony hummed, sitting back in his seat to better survey her, aware that Steve was watching him curiously. “Alright, I’ll stop playing twenty-questions for now,” He conceded and Clara blew out a slow breath of relief.

“I’m just going to go check on your entrees,” She said quietly and Tony nodded, watching as she started to turn away.

“Of course, Clara. Thank you for taking such good care of us,” He told her and she smiled at them half-heartedly, ducking her head and walking away.

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve nearly hissed. “What are you doing, asking her those kinds of-“

“ _Steve-_ “ Tony shot right back. “I already knew all the answers to them. I just wanted to hear her say it.”

Steve blinked, confused as anything and Tony sighed and picked up another mushroom. “That wasn’t very nice, I know, _but-_ “ He went on when Steve looked about ready to agree. “I was hoping to get her to call Brock an asshole.”

Steve groaned and wanted to knock his head against the table. “ _Tony_ -“

Tony grinned and picked up a bit of the fluffy bread she’d brought to the table, Steve already having worked through nearly half the basket himself. “He’s an awful guy, Bucky said she’d called her boss an asshole and I _100%_ agree with that statement and I maybe also wanted to make her realize that it’s a terrible job for her and that she could do much better.”

Steve stilled, wine glass raised to his lips. He narrowed his eyes a fraction. “You’re going to give her a job, aren’t you?”

Tony shrugged, picking up his own glass. “I don’t know _what_ you are talking about, Steven,” He said haughtily and Steve groaned.

“Of course you don’t,” He sighed and decided that eating would be preferable to an argument right then.

Not that it would have been much of one.

The chatted quietly while they worked on their appetizers and soon Clara was clearing away their dishes and letting them know that their meals were almost ready. “Excellent,” Tony agreed, smiling at her warmly as she poured them both another glass of champagne when he’d asked her to stay a moment.

“So, now that we’ve established that your day job is terrible,” Tony started, Steve groaning softly and Clara’s cheeks flushing sweetly. “We can talk about this one. Do you like it here? Is your boss good to you? Keep in mind I can have this place shut down-“ He snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”

“Please don’t shut it down,” She gasped, eyes wide. “I like it here, I’ve worked here for five years now, I-“

“Great! No shutting it down then,” He chuckled and Clara visibly relaxed. “ _Sorry_ , had to make sure.”

Clara huffed and Steve sighed. “I am sorry about him,” He apologized and Clara smiled at him nervously.

“Don’t you apologize for me, _Steven_. I don’t think we’ve quite reached that stage in our relationship yet,” Tony admonished playfully and Steve’s cheeks went a _very_ interesting shade of pink.

Clara tried not to stare, but really, she was only human and he was sort of adorable.

“So, you like this job and what, only work here on weekends?” He asked, humming when she nodded. “I imagine the tips are nice, even if the pay is lower,” He contemplated aloud, Clara nodding in agreement.

“That’s good, but you can’t possibly only fill your time with just _work_. What else do you do? What do you do for fun?” He asked her curiously, propping his chin up in his palm and watching her intently.

Clara stilled. This _entire_ conversation from the very start had so far baffled her and even now she was at a complete and utter _loss_. Because _what?_ _Why_ on _Earth_ did he want to know these things about her?

She wasn’t even sure what to say to the man, what to tell him she did in her spare time. Did she even _have_ spare time? _Not much_ , she thought wryly. _And you usually sleep. Buuut, I don’t think that’s exactly Tony Stark worthy information_.

“I write music,” She blurted and instantly wanted to shovel the words back into her mouth.

 _Why_ had she said anything in the first place?

“You write music,” Tony repeated, sounding rather curious about that. “That’s interesting. Do you mean songs? Lyrics and-“

“N-not lyrics,” She explained. “Just music.”

He hummed, head tilted curiously. “Does that mean I’m right in assuming you play an instrument?”

She nodded, shifting uncomfortably. “You are.”

“It takes a lot of patience to learn to play. What instrument?” He asked, watching her intently as she started fiddling with the hem of her apron again.

“The violin, the cello and sometimes the piano,” She confessed and at this Tony’s smile grew shark-like.

“ _Ah_ , not only _one_ then and that’s a very unusual set. I don’t know many cellists nor violinists, but pianists, I know aplenty. I know it takes a great deal of skill to play the violin, you must have a great teacher,” He murmured and watched carefully as her gaze snapped to his and couldn’t seem to pull away.

“I did,” She told him firmly and Tony was going to press, he _was_ because that was past tense and he _knew_ but he needed to hear her tell him, to hear it for himself but he hadn’t anticipated her reaction to his prodding. “If you’ll excuse me, your entrees are ready and I do not wish to let them cool.”

Before Tony could so much as open his mouth to apologize, she was gone, across the dining room and headed for the kitchen. Tony also did _not_ expect to have his arm pinched.

“ _Ow-_ “ He snapped, rubbing harshly at the spot and turning to glare petulantly at Steve from across the table.

“ _You-_ “ Steve snapped back. “Deserved that.”

“Okay, _fair_ , but still, _ow_ ,” He whined and Steve rolled his eyes.

“You’re such a big baby, I’ll kiss it better for you later,” He sighed and nearly missed Tony’s wide-eyes.

_Nearly._

He smiled at the genius, his cheeks heating when Tony smirked playfully at him and waggled his eyebrows. “Will you kiss _more_ than my cheek bette-“

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve laughed, annoyed and fond all in one breath. “I’m still mad at you. You can’t just push people to get what you want, it’s not okay.”

Tony sighed deeply and nodded, conceding the point. “No, no, you’re right, I know you are. I just-there’s something about her that makes me _want_ to push.”

“It’s because you’re overly protective of Bucky,” Steve sighed in exasperation, barely managing to resist putting his head in his hands. “And I’m speaking from experience.”

Tony blinked, because that…might be true. “Okay, _so_ say that was the case. Does that mean _you_ want to push her?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I feel like I have more tact than you in this area, but yes, I do want to push.”

Tony hummed, muttering _interesting_ under his breath and Steve really was gone on this man when he found himself smiling fondly at that all too familiar expression. “But it doesn’t matter, Tony. She was clearly uncomfortable discussing her music-“

“ _No_ , she was clearly uncomfortable discussing her _teacher_ , who I’m pretty sure was her father and he only just passed about a year ago,” Tony explained further, voice quieting.

Steve frowned. “Bucky mentioned her father passing, I didn’t think it’d been so recent.”

Tony nodded. “Yeah, it’s a soft spot, I knew it would be, but I had to poke it because I’m paying off her bills in the morning.”

Steve blew out a breath and shook his head. “But Bucky said-“

“I know what Bucky said,” Tony cut him off. “But I’m going to speak to her directly before- _while_ -“ He corrected himself when Steve raised a brow disbelievingly at him. “ _While_ , I’m doing it.”

“Uh huh,” Steve sighed, resisting the urge to rub at his temples.

“But, I’ll leave that alone for now and-“

“She’s coming with our food,” Steve warned quietly, interrupting him as he took a sip of his champagne.

Tony sat back in his seat at the warning, gaze flickering to where Clara was setting down their tray of entrees on a folding table. “ _Oh,_ that smells fantastic,” Steve breathed.

Clara smiled as she settled the tray down and lifted up two of their plates. “I hope you both enjoy them,” She told them, setting the plates down and reaching for the others.

“I’m sure we will,” He agreed. “These look wonderful.”

She smiled at him warmly and they both couldn’t help but note that she appeared far less ruffled as when she had left them only a minute ago.

“Is there anything else I can get for you, gentlemen?”

“No, this all looks fantastic, darling,” Tony told her earnestly and she visibly relaxed.

“Wonderful, I’ll be back shortly to check on you. Enjoy your meals,” She urged and both men smiled as she turned and headed back towards the server’s station.

Steve watched her go for a moment, food momentarily forgotten when he saw her lean against the counter and take a deep breath. Her gaze flickered towards the mint chocolate _After Eight’_ s he could see in a dish in front of her and he smiled down at his plate when he saw her pick one up to nibble on.

They lost themselves in the meal after that, laughing and chatting quietly with one another while they shared bites of their dinners. It was always easy with them and even if there were maybe a few more lingering looks and shy smiles between them, they were certain they’d made the right decision to come as more than friends. They also hoped they’d made the right decision in coming to _this_ particular restaurant. Steve hoped that Bucky would think that it was a good decision too.

.

“ _Oh_ , my God,” Clara breathed, eating yet **_another_** _After Eight_.

She stared down at the four empty wrappers in front of her and vowed that this would be the last one. She was nervous and stressed and all she wanted to do was eat sweets. She huffed and threw the wrappers away before turning and glancing around the restaurant.

There weren’t many tables left this time of night, the bar area more full now that the dinner hour was over. Harold had come by to check on her but it had literally taken one glance from her before he’d backed off and promised her she could have whatever she wanted for her dinner later. She’d thanked him and put in an order for a pasta dish because _man_ did she need comfort food.

She huffed and looked over at her only table and found Steve smiling warmly at Tony who was grinning and gesturing wildly with his hands, clearly excited about whatever story he was telling his friend. She watched them quietly for a long moment, while Steve flushed lightly and laughed at whatever Tony was saying to him.

They were sweet together and she wondered at that. Wondered if they were together or just good friends. Somehow, she thought it might be more.

She exhaled shakily when she realized their plates were virtually empty and quickly dusted off her apron and headed back to their table.

.

“How was everything?” She asked, smiling gently at the men and moved to clear away their plates.

“Excellent of course,” Tony admitted, Steve chuckling and nodding.

“Everything was really good, honestly. I think I enjoyed the ravioli the best, though,” He admitted and Clara grinned at him.

“It’s the gorgonzola that makes it so delicious,” She told him, winking at him and he grinned.

“Should have known it was the cheese,” Steve laughed and Tony snickered.

“Loves his cheese, I’m more of a steak fan myself, but I did rather enjoy the ravioli too, even if I only got a couple of bites,” He teased, smirking at Steve.

The blond flushed and shrugged. “You told me to finish it.”

“I did,” Tony chirped happily and Steve huffed, smiling as he glanced down at his empty plate.

“I’m glad you both enjoyed everything. Would you like coffee or dessert this evening? Maybe an aperitif?” She offered, successfully clearing the plates and setting them down onto the tray behind her.

Tony hummed in consideration and glanced over at Steve, the blond biting his lower lip and Tony didn’t resist rolling his eyes. “Two cups of coffee and your death by chocolate cake, just a slice. _One fork-_ “

“ _Two_ -“ Steve challenged, smirking when Tony huffed.

“Two,” Tony conceded and Clara smiled in amusement. “Better make it a big slice then.”

“Of course. I’ll be back in just a moment,” She assured, scooping up the tray and folding table.

“So, how are we going to bring it up?”

Tony shrugged lightly and glanced over to where he could see Clara preparing their cups of coffee and chatting quietly to someone in the kitchen through the service window. “I think I’ll keep that a secret for a few more minutes. Are you going to behave and let me, be _me?_ ”

Steve sighed, exasperated as ever. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice, now do I?”

Tony winked at him. “See, you get it.”

Steve merely rolled his eyes and watched as Tony smiled down at nothing in particular.


	3. Chapter 3

Not a minute later did Clara return to the table with their coffees and desert, a warm smile lighting up her young face. “Here you are,” She announced, setting down their coffees, milk, cream and sugar.

When she set the cake down between them with the two forks, Steve’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Steve beamed up at her. “It’s _all_ chocolate, I’m going to love it.”

Tony snickered. “That’s good,” She laughed lightly. “I’ll let you two enjoy your desert, I’ll be-“

“Why don’t you stay a minute,” Tony suggested, watching her closely.

She shifted and glanced between them. “I c-could stay a moment,” She agreed quietly and Tony smiled at her.

“Wonderful, I hope I didn’t upset you earlier with my questions and if I did, I am sorry. I’m curious about you and when I’m curious about something or someone, I tend to dig and because _Bucky_ made it very clear that he would like to help you and had a few rather interesting requests, I had to see you for myself.”

Clara blinked, confusion evident in her expression. “I don’t understand, I thought-I thought he was just going to ask if you knew of any open apartments to rent. I didn’t even know he was going to ask _you_ , Mr. Stark.”

“I’m not surprised,” He chuckled. “And he did ask me about apartments and like I said, there’s one with your name on it, if you want it, but there’s a bit more to it than that,” Tony admitted. “But keep in mind that what I’m about to say, was not _really_ an official request from our mutual friend. He mentioned a few things and I heard something different-“

“It’s unfortunately a thing he does,” Steve sighed, propping his chin in his hand and waving his fork a bit, already having had a couple of bites of the delicious cake.

“Yes, _well-_ “ Tony chuckled, turning his attention back to Clara. “I just need you to answer a few questions for me, Clara. How does that sound?”

She swallowed thickly and nodded. “G-go ahead.”

Tony’s smile softened and he tookslow breath before asking, “Are you happy at your job with _Rumlow Incorporated?_ ”

Clara exhaled shakily and shook her head. “N-no,” She admitted and Tony cooed in sympathy.

“I’m honestly not surprised, Brock is a different breed of person, isn’t he?” Tony huffed and watched as she swallowed hard and nodded.

“ _So_ , you’re not happy there and yet you continue to work there. Can you tell me why?” He asked her quietly.

Clara shifted uncomfortably. “You already know why, you know more about me than I’m comfortable with and yet you still keep asking me questions you already know the answers to.”

Tony’s smile was downright _pleased_. “There she is,” He breathed, ignoring her confused scowl. “Very clever. But why don’t you humour me for a moment and keep answering?”

Clara exhaled slowly, drawing on her veritable _well_ of patience. “I continue to work for Brock because I-because I need the money,” She managed, swallowing hard when Tony raised a brow, clearly waiting for her to continue. “To pay off my father’s medical bills.”

Tony let his gaze sweep over her appraisingly. “To pay off some very hefty medical bills I would imagine. I don’t understand how our system is so broken so as to put families into crippling debt during such a stressful time, during the _loss_ of a loved one,” He murmured, watching as her hands started to tremble where they were clasped in front of her.

He felt Steve shift beside him, no doubt ready to interject or pinch him again to get him to stop, but he wouldn’t be deterred. “So, you work at an _awful_ job, for an _asshole_ of a boss and for what? To pay off a treatment that didn’t work, to be reminded of a time in your life you would no doubt like to move past to keep your memories of your father in tact.”

She didn’t reply, but they could both see how hard she was trying to hold it in. Hold her tears back. “It’s alright,” Tony told her quietly. “Losing a loved one is never easy, we know.”

Her next breath in hitched and Tony’s gaze softened as he reached out as if to offer support. He thought better of it before he touched her, however, when he noticed her leaning away and instead smiled at her comfortingly.

“What if I told you, you didn’t have to go in to work on Monday, that you didn’t have to work one more day for that asshole?”

She swallowed hard and exhaled shakily. “I’d say that’s great but ask you how that’s going to help me pay my bills.”

Tony huffed, an amused smile on his face. “And I’d say, how about you work for me?”

“ _What?_ ” She blurted before she could stop herself and then immediately cleared her throat. “ _Pardon?_ ”

Tony’s smile was rather smug. “Come work for me,” He shrugged, leaning once again into his comfortable sprawl. “I need an assistant to come in on days that I’m in the office. It’d be salary of course, raises pending performance reviews every six months, full benefits, bonuses, all the company perks. The hours are quite flexible, so long as you follow my schedule,” He winked and she just blinked at him, entirely blindsided. “You can start say, as early as Wednesday?”

“I-“ She swallowed hard and glanced to Steve who was watching Tony intently. “I-you’re offering me a _job?_ ”

“I am,” He agreed breezily. “And I promise I won’t be an asshole boss,” He winked. “All I need is someone to field my calls. I get a lot of irritating people calling me,” He scrunched up his nose and jerked his thumb in Steve’s direction, the blond rolling his eyes. “Like this one.”

“There’s a coffee machine in the office and I tend to make it myself, so you won’t even have to bring me coffee and it’s free for you to use as often as you like. You’ll be given your own desk, phone, computer-“

“ _Yes-_ “ She breathed. “I-I’ll be your assistant,” She agreed, voice nothing but a breathless gasp.

Tony nodded. “Smart girl, I’ll set you up with an appointment on Tuesday morning to meet with my Pepper and she’ll get everything sorted. But, that still leaves us the housing detail.”

He narrowed his eyes at her and she seemed to squirm beneath his stare. “You need a new apartment, yesterday and I have something open right now. Actually, you can move in on Monday after, _oh_ I don’t know, lunch?”

She swallowed hard, realizing that he already knew of her plans to have lunch with Bucky. “Y-you do?”

“I do,” He agreed, eyes crinkling at the corner. “And I’m going to let Bucky tell you all about it at lunch, so all you have to do between now and then is pack your things and quit your job at _Rumlow Incorporated._ ”

She was shaking as she nodded, rather overwhelmed by this whole goddamn day. She swallowed hard and shook her head. She _really_ wanted to sit down right now. “I- _why_ are you doing all this for me?”

Tony shrugged and looked to Steve. “Would you like to explain or should I?”

Steve smiled, setting down his coffee with a nod. “I would,” He agreed, turning his attention to Clara. “Bucky doesn’t go out on his own very often. I’m sure you’re aware of who he is and can understand why that might be difficult for him,” He paused and she nodded when she realized he was waiting for her confirmation.

“But today he went out to pick up a couple of things and when he came home after being out for most of the afternoon, he was smiling, humming and more relaxed than I’ve seen him in a _very_ long time and that-that’s not ever the case when he comes home from being out of the house,” He explained gently, thinking back to the numerous times Bucky would lock himself in his room or the bathroom for hours after an outing, stressed beyond what he could handle.

“He told us about you because we’re nosy and pushed but he was genuinely interested in helping you and-“ He smiled a little wider. “He’s really looking forward to having lunch with you on Monday.”

Clara let out a soft noise at that, her cheeks going impossibly darker. “So-“ Tony continued. “Bucky wanted to help you and you helped Bucky by just being yourself, so now we’re helping you because you helped Bucky. Everybody wins.”

He shrugged and Clara merely stared at him with incredulity written all over her pretty face. “I don’t-“ She shook her head, seemingly at a loss. “I don’t know how to repay you-I-“

“You don’t need to repay me,” Tony instantly interrupted, sitting forward more in his seat.

“But you’re helping me and I-I can’t-“ She shook her head, looking slightly panicked.

“Take a deep breath,” He directed, reassured when she followed through. “And a couple more,” He added for good measure. “I’m going to talk and you’re going to nod, no speaking.”

Steve huffed but Tony ignored him and waited patiently for her to nod. “You don’t need to nor should you feel the need to _ever_ repay me. You’ll return the favour by being a good employee. I’ve read your-“ He winced. “Performance reviews and I paid attention to the work ethic comments and all of your computer skills. I am sure I have an idea of what you are capable of and I know you’ll no doubt impress me further. It’s an easy job, you answer the phones, help me write a few emails, file a bit of paperwork. I will _never_ give you more work than you can handle because, well, I hate work and I _despise_ paperwork even more,” He admitted, Steve chuckling softly and adding a quiet, _he really does_.

“You work, you earn those wages and you keep them, they’re yours to do with what you want, what you need. Do you understand?”

She nodded slowly but Tony could see her fighting not to speak so he narrowed his eyes. “Get it out of your head, I won’t be taking any money from you. I’m getting you set up with an apartment in a few weeks, Bucky and I are helping you out with an apartment until then, _rent free-_ “ He added and arched a brow sharply when she went to interrupt. “ _Don’t_ , not a word,” He warned and she snapped her jaw shut when he wagged a finger at her.

“You’ll be given an advance on your first paycheque the moment you sign the paperwork with Pepper and everything will work itself out. We’ll help you move Monday afternoon and that’ll be that,” He shrugged and relaxed back against the seat, only just resisting the urge to pat himself on the back.

When she went to raise her hand, Tony had to laugh. “ _Yes_ , Miss Clara?”

She flushed and lowered her hand. “Isn’t there anything I can do to-n-not pay you back exactly, but just-“ She shrugged. “I don’t know, say thank you?”

“Say thank you,” Tony suggested, laughing lightly. “ _Honestly_ , I don’t even need that. I’m happy if you’re happy and if you’re happy then Bucky’s happy.”

She exhaled shakily and Tony tried not to let his eyes go _too_ wide when she ran her hand through her hair, fluffing it every which way. Something Bucky tended to do and it was always so endearing to watch. He glanced over to Steve to see if he noticed and sure enough, the blond was smiling into his curled hands, elbows resting on the table.

He sighed softly when he turned back to her and found her watching him with something like wonder on her young face. “Thank you,” She said, earnest and so heartfelt Tony was sure she meant it down to her bones.

He was going to wave it off, smile and nod and move on but then she blurted, “It’s not enough.”

He couldn’t help the startled burst of laughter at that, because she truly did believe that, her voice conveying nothing but genuine distress and Tony didn’t know what to do with that. “ _Clara-_ “

“S-seriously Mr. Stark, a thank you isn’t enough, I could say it a _thousand_ times and it still wouldn’t be enough-“

Tony sighed, exasperated as he sat up straighter in his seat. “Alright,” He acknowledged, deciding to take a chance, because how else was he going to get her to drop this? “You can say thank you…by playing me a song on your violin, one that you’ve written.”

Clara stilled, her face draining entirely of all colour. “What?” She whispered with barely any breath left in her lungs.

Tony tipped his head thoughtfully, rather curious now. “Would you play me a song you’ve written on your violin as a thank you? I’m sure you play wonderfully.”

She swallowed thickly. “I don’t-I haven’t played for-for anyone in a long- _very long-_ time,” She admitted, voice shaky and strained.

Tony hummed “And is that by choice? Or because you had no one to listen?”

Her eyes were round, wide in nervous-not quite fear-apprehension, perhaps? Tony watched as they searched his face, her grey-blue orbs darkened by the dimmed light of the room. “No one to listen,” She answered and Tony nodded in understanding.

“We’d be happy to listen to you play. We’d be the perfect audience, won’t say a word and even if you’re terrible, we’d never tell you,” Tony chuckled, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

Clara laughed too but it was very much strained. “ _Right_ , y-you want me to play for-“ She paused. “The both of you.”

Tony hummed quietly. “Only if you’d like to, mind. You still don’t have to do anything in thanks. I’m still very happy to help-“

“I’ll play for you,” She blurted, cheeks heating almost as fast as they’d drained of colour. “I just-I haven’t played for anyone in so long and nothing that I’ve _written_ just the same.”

Tony’s smile was warm. “It’d be our pleasure to listen, wouldn’t it, Steve?”

The blond nodded, leaning against the table as he met her wide-eyed stare. “It would. I’ve never heard anyone play the violin in person before,” He explained and her soft gasp of startled realization made Tony bite the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning.

“You want me to play r-right _now?_ ”

Tony glanced over his shoulder, taking note of the near empty dining room. He could see through to the bar area, fairly full and teaming with young couples, however. His gaze easily settled back on her and he watched as she seemed to shift in place. “Is your violin here with you?” He asked, head tilted curiously.

She swallowed thickly and nodded but just as quickly she was glancing around, obviously nervous about a larger audience. “Y-yes, but-“

“Don’t you want to thank me?”

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve admonished and Tony flickered a glance in his direction.

“I’m only teasing,” He huffed. “You don’t actually have to play-“

“I want to-“ She interrupted on a heavy breath.

Tony arched a brow. “Are you sure, because you don’t actually have to do what I say-“

“You _really_ don’t,” Steve agreed, but she was already nodding, albeit a bit stiltedly.

“I do want to say thank you, Mr. Stark and I’d love to be a-able to share something I’ve written. I’ve always wanted to I just-“ She shrugged helplessly. “Never had an audience that wanted to listen.”

Tony’s gaze softened. “Well, consider me a willing audience.”

“Me too,” Steve agreed quietly, setting down his fork and smiling at her kindly.

She swallowed thickly and nodded, glancing back towards the kitchen. “M-maybe I should double check with my manager, I don’t want to upset the other guests.”

“If anyone is upset by your playing one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, I will personally escort them out the door,” Tony said firmly and Clara couldn’t help the timid smile she gave him at that.

“I might help him,” Steve agreed and she flushed when he winked at her.

She stared at them both more than a touch bemused and a lot dazed for a long moment before nodding decisively. “ _Right_ , I’ll just-“ She motioned behind her. “Go get my violin, then.”

“Of course,” Tony agreed. “Take your time, we’re going to enjoy our desert and we look forward to listening to you play for us.”

She nodded absently, still staring at them with rather wide eyes. “ _Right_ , I’ll…” She trailed off and after a moment of nothing, she finally turned and fled.

Tony turned back to Steve and the blond bit his lower lip. “She’s very sweet, but how did you know she had her violin with her? Because I know you must have known.”

“Clever, yes I knew and it was simply a part of my research, as it were.”

Steve rolled his eyes but he was well past being surprised tonight. “And you’re right, she is sweet. I think I get it now,” Tony admitted, poking his fork into their cake and stealing a bite.

“Hmm? Get what?” Steve murmured, sipping idly at his coffee.

“Why Bucky wanted to help her,” He explained, glancing down at his forkful of chocolate cake. “There’s something about her. She’s very shy and usually I tend to poke at people like that, get them to open up-“

Steve rolled his eyes. “I’m well aware.”

Tony smirked and shrugged. “With her I sort of just want to put her in a bubble, protect her at all costs, kind of like-“

“ _Bucky?_ ” Steve offered, grinning fondly at his friend.

Tony laughed, surprised by the realization. “ _Yeah_ , definitely like Bucky,” He agreed, shaking his head at himself. “When I look at him, there’s something in his eyes that’s just-you know he’s been through hell, _worse_ than hell and I-“ He shrugged helplessly.

“You see it in her eyes too,” Steve finished, voice softening.

Tony looked up at his friend across the table and found the blond smiling at him sadly yet fondly. “I do, and it’s more than just the loss of a loved one.”

Steve nodded slowly, his next breath nothing more than a sigh. “I know, Tony,” He consoled, reaching out and brushing the backs of Tony’s knuckles with his own.

He shivered lightly at the gentle contact, gaze flickering over Steve’s face, taking in every micro expression therein. “You’re very handsome, you know,” He found himself breathing and watched in delight as Steve’s cheeks flushed the sweetest pink; _oh_ that fair Irish complexion.

“And you’re-“ Steve chuckled. “Great at distracting me.”

Tony grinned and shrugged, nudging Steve’s hand lightly with his own. “Caught that, did you?”

Steve sighed and only rolled his eyes a _little_ at that. “Of course I did, I know how you get whenever anyone ever talks about _feelings_ ,” He huffed.

Tony shrugged, shifting in his seat as he felt his cheeks flood with warmth. He hoped his facial hair covered most of it. “Uh huh, if you don’t hurry up, I’m going to finish all this cake,” He announced and when they both looked down at the more than half of the piece of cake left, Steve raised his eyebrows.

“I’d like to see you try.”

Tony snickered. “Okay, maybe not _all_ of it.”

“Have a couple more bites, you don’t have to worry about the rest.”

He winked and Tony grinned at him. “I don’t know where you put it. _Wait_ , actually, I know _exactly_ where you put it.”

Steve snorted, watching as Tony took a couple more bites, humming in pleasure at the taste. “Is that so?”

“ _Mhmm_ ,” Tony murmured around a second bite.

“And where’s that?” Steve asked, well aware that he was setting himself up for _something,_ but he’d do just about anything for Tony, so…

“Your killer ass,” Tony announced, pointing a fork at him and waggling his brows.

Steve barked out in surprised laughter at that and Tony grinned, obviously pleased by the reaction he’d garnered. “America’s ass, that’s what it is,” Tony told him, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Steve tried to smother his laughter and couldn’t quite manage and soon Tony was laughing too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm in love with the band Apocalyptica. Their music is incredible and I'm honestly obsessed with their style. If you've never listened to them, please go do so. The song Clara plays for Steve and Tony in this chapter is Rise by Apocalyptica. She claims it as her own in the story, but all credit obviously goes to the incredible musicians behind the music. I urge you to listen to their music while you read this story because it was my inspiration.

“Are you alright?”

Clara looked up in wide-eyed panic at Harold and shook her head. “Not even close.”

He frowned and squeezed her shoulder lightly. “You’re doing great and they seem really happy,” He admitted, glancing across the dining room to see the pair laughing and smiling, still enjoying their desert. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“ _Sure-_ “ She croaked. “I just-I’ve not played for anyone s-since my father-“

She shook her head, unable to continue and he smiled at her in sympathy. “I know, Clara but I also know that every time he came to see you here he’d rave about your talent to whoever would listen.”

She laughed at that and shook her head. “I’m pretty sure his opinion was _highly_ biased.”

Harold grinned at her. “Maybe, but I’d still bet my job on you being an excellent musician.”

She paused at that, shaking her head slowly. “I don’t know that I am, but…thank you all the same.”

He hummed quietly and glanced down to where she’d set her violin case on one of the staff tables. “You’re very protective of your violin, you bring it here, so you must bring it to your other job too. Have you really not played for anyone else?”

She shook her head, running careful hands along the still closed case. “No, I’m just too frightened to leave it at home, so I cart it around with me just about everywhere I go,” She sighed. “It’s the only thing of my mother’s I have left and the only reason I don’t bring father’s cello with me is because it’s too big for me to carry.”

Harold’s gaze softened, his smile kind. “You’ll do wonderfully and I know you’re worried about being a bother to the other patrons, but honestly, if they can’t show some class in a high class restaurant, then they shouldn’t be here in the first place.”

Clara did smile at that, looking up at him as she popped the latches on the case open. “Thanks, Harold. I shouldn’t play for too long, just a couple of minutes.”

“You can play until you’re ready to stop, ignore everyone else,” He told her, glancing down at the case as she paused in opening it.

“If that were possible, I’d never stop,” She confessed and he smiled at her warmly.

“You’re in the wrong profession, I’m telling you,” He sighed, turning to give her some privacy.

“Maybe,” She agreed quietly, watching as he walked away.

Her gaze fell again to her unlocked case and she pushed it open carefully, her shaky exhale loud to her own ears. She moved to untie her apron, tugging the strap over her head and folding it to set it aside and took a moment to smooth down her dress shirt and the pleats of her dress pants.

She knew they weren’t the nicest clothes, repaired more than one too many times but there wasn’t much she could do about it right this moment. She was thankful at least that her work shirt was neat and clean because white was _so_ hard to keep free of stains.

She worried at her lower lip as she picked up her violin and bow with careful reverence before she turned to look back towards the dining room. She could see the pair laughing lightly and smiling at one another like lovesick puppies while they finished off their cake. She shook her head because there was _definitely_ something there.

She exhaled shakily and then took another moment or three to just _breathe,_ gathering the courage, the strength to walk to them.

.

Steve glanced over Tony’s shoulder when he noticed Clara walking over and couldn’t help sitting up a bit straighter when he caught sight of her carrying what looked to be a beautiful violin. “Oh, wow,” He found himself exhaling and Tony shifted and looked over just as she stopped at the edge of their table.

His gaze flickered over her briefly but his eyes instantly focused on the violin because it _was_ beautiful. He watched as she bowed before them and met Tony’s gaze through lowered lashes. “That is a beautiful instrument,” Steve told her, bright blue eyes flickering over it.

It was a deep warm brown, worn but certainly well loved, the darker leather detailing on the chin rest had certainly been tended to over time, mended and conditioned, protected from oils. It was a beautiful instrument and it had Tony biting back a question or five at the sight of it.

“Thank you,” She breathed and they could _hear_ the nerves in her voice, the shakiness of her words. “It was my mother’s.”

Tony filed that bit of information away and forced himself to focus, smiling warmly at her as he nodded. “Quite stunning,” He agreed and purposely let his gaze sweep up and down her frame.

It had the desired effect, a darker blush staining her cheeks as she whispered a quiet thank you. He wondered if she’d ever say anything _other_ than thank you to him. She had to get tired of him eventually, he was certain. He found himself rather amused by the thought.

“What will you play for us?” Steve asked, clearly eager for her to play.

She blinked and worried at her lower lip for a moment. “A song I’ve written called _Rise_. I-it’s a bit long though but I’ll shorten it-“

“ _Don’t-_ “ Tony interrupted gently. “You may play for as long as you’d like.”

She stilled.“Be careful,” She warned, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “You may be here a while if I did that.”

Tony smiled, a soft huff escaping him, pleased that she was opening up more and more to them. “Play however long you like, _within reason_ , then. How’s that?”

She nodded and took a few steps back from their table and Steve couldn’t help noticing that she was shaking slightly. “Don’t be so nervous,” He tried to console. “We’re not in any hurry and we would love to hear you play. Tony enjoys classical music when he’s not on a rock kick-“

“Don’t give away my secrets, _Steven_ ,” Tony admonished. “I have an image to maintain.”

Steve hummed but paid him no mind. “I’ve never had the opportunity to listen to classical music, not much, anyway.”

“Well-“ She breathed. “Although I _do_ play classical music, love to play it, listen to it,” She admitted. “My music is more modern, Neoclassical, I suppose. I haven’t shared it with anyone before though, only my father,” She explained quietly.

“We’re grateful you’re sharing it with us,” He assured her and she softened considerably, looking between them both.

“I’m grateful for all that you’re doing for me,” She returned and shared a warm smile with Tony before she glanced down at the instrument in her grasp.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Tony murmured and she nodded, both watching her intently as she raised the violin to her shoulder and settled her chin against the worn leather.

Tony hadn’t known what to expect exactly when he’d heard that she was musically inclined. Playing three instruments required a very specific skillset and a great deal of practice and patience. He knew she must be good, especially if she was writing her own music, but upon seeing her violin; his opinion had swiftly changed.

Because _good_ was not something worth playing on a violin of such calibre. _Talented_ or even **_gifted_** , might have been better choices, because no sooner did she close her eyes, fingers taking their places, bow raised and held _just so_ , did Tony realize just how wrong he’d been.

Steve’s quiet gasp was entirely lost in the next moment as she began to play, as was the sound of Tony shifting in his seat as he leant forward to watch. She was the perfect picture of elegance, her posture perfect, head tipped and leaning towards her violin. She stood tall, taller than she’d first appeared, a confidence coming over her that they hadn’t been privy to before.

Her hair fell to brush her cheek but she made no move to brush it away as she brought her bow smoothly over the strings time and time again. It was nothing that she hadn’t done a thousand times before, she quickly realized, her lashes fluttering closed the moment the first note reached her ears. They kissed the tops of her cheeks as her fingers settled, finding their positions. Everything faded away the moment she struck that very first note, the bow gliding smooth and slow over the strings.

She exhaled on the next movement, brow furrowing as she let herself delve deeper into the music, let it embrace her, the echos of every note reverberating within her and lifting her up as if preparing to carry her away. She felt buoyed by them and it took no time at all to run away with her, just as it always did.

She was moving without conscious thought as she continued to play, every note speaking to her in that familiar way that never ceased to astound her. She could hear nothing else, not the clang of cutlery or plates, not the murmur of conversation in the other room, _nothing_. Nothing save for each note slowly filling the space within her that was never quite full enough, no matter how many times she played, no matter how _long_ she played.

She breathed in deeply through her nose, the tendons in her neck stretched taut, body tense and somehow the most relaxed she could ever let herself be. This was her comfort, this was her happy place, filled with song, her music, her father’s whispers, his sweet praise.

She gasped as she reached the highest point of the song, a sweat having broken out at her temples, her body flowing, moving as if through water, slow and careful, _deliberate_. But just as quickly as she had reached that peak did she begin to come down the other side. Her heart rate beginning to slow, her breaths calming, even if her heart _was_ still racing, her breathing still laboured, her chest _aching with_ the feeling of feeling so full and yet it hadn’t been enough. It somehow never was.

She had no idea what she looked like then, entirely lost to the music, _her_ music. She had moved as if someone were guiding her every movement, speaking to her through song. She played for no one save for herself, in a way. Her movements had been seamless, her fingers quick and her bow steady. She played with every fibre of her being, her _soul_ and they were certain they had never witnessed something quite so beautiful before.

The song was not nearly long enough to satisfy her but it had to end sometime and as the last note was struck, she breathed in and let her arm fall, fingers wrapped carefully around her bow. She lowered the violin as well and exhaled slowly, gaze rising up from the floor as she whispered a breathy, “ _thank you_ ,” to Tony.

Tony, who was sitting, practically _leaning_ out of his seat as he stared at her with something akin to disbelief and awe written plain as day across his face. “What are you doing here?” He barely dared to breathe, but she didn’t hear him, her gaze flickering to Steve when the blond exhaled harshly, sounding as if he’d held his breath for the entirety of the song.

“That was so incredible, I-” He shook his head, his eyes wide and expression filled with undeniable awe.

Clara lowered her gaze once again and bowed and then startled badly when someone behind her clapped. Her heart practically leapt into her throat when she quickly turned and found more than a dozen people, customers and some of her own coworkers gathered at the edge of the dining room. They were giving her a bout of riotous applause and she nearly stumbled as she went to take a step back towards nothing, simply shocked and overwhelmed by the reception.

She felt a warmth at her back before a gentle hand landed on her shoulder. “Let’s have you sit for a moment, Clara, but first perhaps you should bow to your audience,” Steve suggested quietly, a calming presence at her back, even if she barely knew him, his voice was soothing in a way she hadn’t known she needed to hear.

She nodded and bowed slightly, hearing Harold quietly asking the other patrons to return to the bar, letting them know that the dining room was closed for the evening. At least he had the presence of mind to break up the gathering crowd, because not only did she not care for the attention, she was sure Steve and Tony wouldn’t either.

She let Steve slowly guide her into his seat and she all but fell into it, cradling her violin and bow carefully in her lap. Tony was staring at her, she knew, she could feel his gaze on her, weighted and intense. She wasn’t ready to meet it quite yet and glanced away to where Steve had brought over a chair to sit on at the edge of the table.

She met his gaze nervously and found him watching her with mingled concern and disbelief. Her heart-rate had kicked back up again when she’d realized how many people had been watching, _listening_ and she shook her head, overwhelmed and a bit panicky at the notion.

 _Christ_ , but she’d just played in front of Captain America and Iron Man.

“You played beautifully, Clara,” Steve told her earnestly. “You can relax, take a few deep breaths,” He urged, pleased when she did try to do so.

“I’ve never heard something so beautiful before,” He admitted, voice barely more than a whisper.

She was vaguely aware that she was shaking as she shook her head, not really thinking. “It was no-“

“If you say _nothing_ ,” Tony interrupted sternly, tone practically _forcing_ her to look at him. “I may just have an aneurysm,” He said with all seriousness.

She grimaced but didn’t finish what she was going to say, unable to pull her gaze from his right then. “Sorry, then, I wasn’t expecting to h-have an audience quite like that n-nor was I prepared to sink into it.”

Tony tilted his head at the odd phrasing. “You mean sink into the song?”

She nodded. “I sometimes, well I get _lost_ in it, I don’t register things around me, hear anything.”

Tony nodded thoughtfully. “You’re more than just talented, Clara, so I’m going to ask you once and I expect an honest answer, mind,” He warned her.

She swallowed thickly and nodded watching as his gaze narrowed, flickering over her features intently. “Why are you here? Why aren’t you playing in an orchestra or _hell_ , composing music for-“

“Because it’s my gift,” She breathed, interrupting him. “I write music, I _play_ music because _I want to_ , I-“ She swallowed hard, embarrassed that she’d interrupted him but she needed to say it. “I’ve never had an audience, n-not one that I chose, not one that I wanted. Not until you and-“ Her brows pinched. “I played for my father, _with_ my father and that was all I wanted then too.”

“And what about now?” Tony wondered, curious because _had_ she been forced to play in the past? “Do you still want to play? To write?”

She nodded, her expression strained. “I do, I’d play every moment of every day if I could,” She confessed. “I hear my father telling me how wonderful it would be to watch me play for people, to share my music with others, make them _feel_ what _I feel_ ,” She explained, clutching her violin tighter. “I want to play because _I want to_ , for _me_ , _my_ choice, not because I have to, not because I want people to notice me, not for money or status or- _or-_ “ She shook her head, frustrated. “I just want to play,” She said, lost and feeling more than a bit helpless. “I don’t care who listens.”

Tony nodded, not saying a word. Steve was very quiet beside them, however, and he couldn’t resist glancing towards him. Steve was watching her very carefully, brows smoothed out and face carefully blank. But it didn’t remain that way for more than a moment before he blinked and breathed out quietly, “You should be able to play every minute of every day, if that’s what you want to do.”

Clara’s gaze softened as she looked to him and finding him watching her with sadness in his eyes. “Sometimes we don’t get what we want, Captain.”

Steve nodded, short and sharp and quickly glanced away. He caught Tony’s eye for an instant before following through to sweep his gaze around the rest of the dining room. Tony didn’t let himself dwell on that, because they both knew how true that statement rang.

“We’ll be giving you a ride home tonight, Miss Dealu,” He told her, tone brooking no room for an argument. “I’ll speak to your manager before we leave. I’d like to settle our bill if you don’t mind, but I also don’t want a scene, so-“ He breathed out. “I will pay the manager and make sure the kitchen and bar staff are paid their dues. You, on the other hand-“

She watched curiously as he reached in to his inner breast pocket and pulled out a cheque book. “Are going to take this without a word other than _yes_ and you’re going to cash it in the morning as soon as the bank opens. Am I understood?”

She swallowed hard, unable to tear her gaze away from his and she could swear she _felt_ the authority in his tone. She was maybe a tad frightened because yeah, _right_. This was _The_ Tony Stark, the most powerful man in New York, probably most of the world even. But he was scribbling out a cheque and she was too afraid to look down at whatever number he was putting to paper because whatever it was, she was already positive it was going to be too much.

She couldn’t say _yes_. She couldn’t. It wasn’t in her to do so and he watched as she seemed to struggle with herself, fight what he was asking of her. Her brows pinched and she started to shake her head but Tony breathed out slowly, tearing the cheque from his book and sliding it across the table towards her.

“You put up with my company for an entire evening and I think that warrants a nice tip, don’t you, Steven?” He asked, turning his attention back to the blond.

Steve nodded, gaze flickering back to her. “You did, you even made it all the way to desert, usually our servers are running for the hills by the time appetizers arrive.”

Tony scoffed and Steve’s smile turned fond. “You have provided us with excellent customer service, we were very pleased with our meal and you provided a wonderful musical accompaniment. I think all of those things warrant a tip-“ He arched a brow at her when she opened her mouth to speak and she quickly clicked her jaw shut. “Even one that’s-“ He glanced down at the cheque and tried not to roll his eyes “As nice as that one.”

She made a strangely strangled sound in the back of her throat and turned to look at Tony rather helplessly. “ _Musical accompaniment_ , how lovely a word choice,” Tony sighed and she could tell Steve was smiling by the glint in his eyes when he shot the man a quick glance.

“I don’t want a scene, Clara. So you’re going to pick up that cheque and put it in your pocket without a word or I will proclaim _loudly_ that Steve and I are escorting you back to the penthouse to have wild animalisti-“

“ _Tony!_ ” Steve guffawed, the genius cracking a shit eating grin while Clara quickly snatched up the cheque and shoved it in her pocket, her face positively _scarlet_.

Tony shrugged, putting his hands up defensively. “It worked, didn’t it?” He chuckled and Steve rolled his eyes, huffing through his nose and looked to her apologetically.

“I am _so_ sorry, we would never-“

“Speak for yourself-“

“ _Oh, my God_ ,” Steve breathed, just _beyond_ done at this point. “We’re leaving and you’re leaving by yourself while I walk the lady home because I don’t think she can stand to take another minute of your teasing because _I_ can’t.”

Tony snickered and went to stand, buttoning his jacket swiftly and winking at Clara when she looked up at him. “Don’t be silly, I’ll drive her home and you can supervise.”

Steve rolled his eyes so hard he swore he saw _stars._ He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as he too stood and offered his hand to Clara when she stayed seated. “We’ll take you home and if he makes one more _grossly_ inappropriate comment, I will personally see to it that he gets what he deserves,” Steve said, tone absolutely _all_ Captain America.

Tony visibly shivered and Steve’s eyes narrowed and darkened near imperceptibly so. “ _Right_ , well-“ Tony cleared his throat slightly. “I’ll go settle up and meet you both back at the car.”

“Uh huh,” Steve murmured, watching as Tony shot her a quick glance as she stood, taking Steve’s hand despite still blushing furiously.

He huffed and then turned and headed towards where he was sure he’d seen the manager only a moment ago.

Steve sighed deeply and turned back to smile at her in apology. “Why don’t you go get your things? I’ll wait here and walk you to the car, alright?”

She nodded, still stunned by where the evening had gone. Where the _day_ had gone. “Alright,” She agreed, cradling her violin and pausing for a moment as if she were about to say something.

She must have changed her mind, however, when in the next moment she was shaking her head and heading to pick up her case and the rest of her things. Steve waited patiently while she did so and when he saw that Tony had found the manager and they were conversing quietly, his shoulders relaxed.

They were both smiling so he figured all was well and it didn’t take long for Clara to return with a nervous smile, coat drawn tightly about her shoulders, violin case and bag held securely in her arms.

“There you are,” Steve greeted and she smiled nervously up at him, casting a quick glance towards where she could see Harold and Tony chatting.

“Is he always like that?”

Steve huffed and shot her a wry smile, amused when she gave him a bit of a smirk. “Sometimes worse, believe it or not,” He chuckled and grinned when she laughed before he motioned for her to go ahead.

They didn’t speak much on the way to the car, Steve doing his best to steer clear of a few onlookers and camera flashes, quietly directing her to turn her gaze from the group as they walked out to their waiting car. He didn’t waste time in opening the door to the back seat for her and without a word she slipped into the car with his help, her violin and bag settled on the seat beside her.

Once the door closed and she was alone for a second, she exhaled harshly and then made a soft whining noise because _yes_ , she needed to whine or yell or _something_ or she was going to go mad.

.

When Steve caught sight of Tony walking down the few steps to join him at the car, he couldn’t help letting out a bone weary sigh at the sight of him. Effortlessly handsome, so at ease in his own skin, confident in a way he could never be.

“You know-“ Tony started by way of greeting and Steve had to reign in yet another deep sigh. “I think I may have taken my teasing a little too far.”

Steve spluttered. “Uh, _yeah_.”

Tony grinned at him, nose scrunching up adorably. “As my way of an apology, we’re going to head back to the compound-after we drop her off of course-and continue our date-“ He went on, stopping just inside of Steve’s personal bubble, looking up and _up_ with a devious smile on his face and Steve barely spared a moment to the thought that there were probably people watching them. “Have some more coffee or a glass of scotch and then maybe we’ll fall into bed together, have passionate wild animal sex and then pass the fuck out.”

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve laughed, startled and embarrassed, blushing furiously when he merely winked and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I’m not that easy,” Steve grumbled petulantly and Tony’s grin turned so fond entirely too quickly.

“Don’t I know it,” He teased, nudging the blond lightly before slipping past him, purposely brushing his hand against Steve’s hip as he rounded the car to open the driver’s side door. “Come on, we’ll enjoy the rest of our evening together at home after we take her home.”

Steve hummed and before long they were both settled in their seats and pulling away from the restaurant.

“I know tonight’s probably been rather overwhelming,” Tony admitted, glancing back at Clara in the rearview to find that she was already looking at him. “So, I just wanted to thank you very much for your lovely company, your excellent service and-“ He shook his head slowly. “There are no words to describe how pleasurable it was to hear and see you play for us.”

Her cheeks were flushed with heat when he next met her gaze and his smile warmed when she blew out a slow breath and whispered, “You’re very welcome, Mr. Stark.”

“Call me, Tony, darling,” He insisted, gently.

She dragged her gaze up to meet his, finding nothing but earnestness there. Everything she’d ever heard about Tony Stark had been nothing but slander and it wasn’t that she was entirely surprised, she knew the media did terrible things to get information and then they’d always blow it way out of proportion, spin stories in a way that suited them and dragged the persons good name through the mud.

This man was nothing like what the media made him out to be and she was right pleased by that knowledge. She looked to Steve as he turned to glance over his shoulder at her, swallowing thickly when he merely smiled in return.

If Captain America liked him…

“You really are far too sweet,” Tony sighed, noting the light blush still highlighting her cheeks, the dark sway of her hair curtaining her grey-blue gaze as she glanced away out the window. “It’s no wonder Bucky likes you.”

Steve raised a brow, gaze falling to him and Tony realized what he’d said. He quickly cleared his throat and glanced in the rearview only to find that Clara was looking at him with disbelief written all over her pretty face.

“He doesn’t even know me,” She found herself whispering.

At this, Steve’s gaze cut to her and he swallowed thickly. “I think he’s hoping to get to know you.”

She nodded, still in disbelief and glanced down at her hands folded in her lap. They were quiet for a couple of minutes as Tony made their way through the streets towards her apartment and she startled when she realized that she was probably supposed to give him directions.

“I live just-“

“I know where you live,” Tony interrupted her and she blew out a breath.

“ _O-of_ course you do,” She whispered, running a hand nervously through her hair and making a right mess of it.

When she caught Tony smiling at her in the rearview, she blushed and tried to fix the mess she’d made of it.

She didn’t live very far and it wasn’t long before they were parked out front of her building, Steve getting out and holding open the door for her while Tony leant over the centre console to see her out Steve’s window.

She took a deep breath and slid out of the backseat with her violin and bag in tow, Steve smiling and offering his hand to help her along. She looked up at him as she stepped free of the car, the blond closing the door behind her.

“It was a pleasure, Clara,” Steve confessed quietly and she blushed a shade darker as he bowed his head and stepped aside so that she could see Tony inside the car.

“It was a pleasure to meet you both,” She breathed, glancing between them before settling her gaze on Tony once more. “Thank you,” She told him earnestly and his gaze softened.

“You’re very welcome, now shoo. You’ve got a lot of packing to do tomorrow and you’ll need your beauty sleep.”

Clara smiled and glanced back to the steps of her building, their own gazes upon her going unnoticed for the moment. “There won’t be much packing to do, I’m afraid. There are a few of my things already in a storage locker in the basement and I don’t have much in the way of belongings, just uh, a lot of books and clothes and things.”

“We’ll make sure to bring everything from your locker and help you move whatever you need on Monday, don’t worry. All you have to focus on is quitting that godawful job and enjoying your lunch with Bucky,” Tony insisted.

“ _Right-_ “ She exhaled shakily and Tony shifted, pulling a business card out from his breast pocket and extending it out the window.

“This is my personal number, don’t lose it,” He explained, watching as she turned back and glanced down at his outstretched hand. “I’ve already got yours, so expect a call tomorrow morning,” She took it carefully, looking down at the simple black card with his phone number written in gold ink when his words caught up to her.

“You’ve already… _right,_ ” She shook her head and turned when Steve chuckled softly.

She worried at her lower lip, gaze flickering between the pair.

“Have a good night, Miss Dealu,” Tony called softly and she nodded, hesitantly taking a step away from the curb.

She swallowed hard and nodded. “T-thank you, you as well Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers.”

Steve tipped his head towards her and opened his door to slip back inside and she was left looking at them both more than speechless right then. But when they made no move to pull away from the curb, she realized that they were waiting for her to go into the building. She huffed softly and turned, only managing to glance over her shoulder a whole two times before she’d made it up the steps and to the door.

With one last deep breath and a softly breathed _goodnight_ , she slipped into her apartment building, leaving the two men alone in the quiet of the car.

It didn’t stay quiet for very long.

“We’re not telling Bucky, are we?” Steve sighed.

Tony glanced to him out of the corner of his eye as he pulled away from the curb. “ _Nope-_ “ He agreed, obnoxiously popping the _p._

Steve nodded, smoothing his hands along the front of his dress pants. “Didn’t think so,” He admitted and was momentarily surprised when Tony reached out and settled his hand atop his thigh.

“Things will work out,” He insisted and all Steve could do was hum and have a little hope that they would.

Tony hadn’t led him wrong yet.

.

“Hey Jarvis?”

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes? How may I be of assistance?”

Bucky hummed quietly under his breath and continued to scroll through the assortment of bed linens, pillows, throw blankets and the like. “Is Steve around? I wanted to ask his opinion on colours.”

“I’m sorry, Sergeant Barnes, but Captain Rogers is currently out to dinner with Sir.”

Bucky blinked. “Oh?”

“Yes, they were visiting your friend, I do believe.”

Bucky paused, slowly dragging his gaze up from the tablet in his grasp. “I’m sorry…say that again, Jarvis.”

When Jarvis merely repeated himself, Bucky slowly got to his feet, tablet still in hand as he started towards the apartment door. “When are they expected to arrive home?”

“They are already on route to the compound and should arrive in less than 12 minutes.”

Bucky cleared his throat. “Thank you, Jarvis. I think I’ll stay up to meet them.”

“Excellent, Sergeant Barnes. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Bucky hummed, considering and took a deep breath. _They are so dead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you enjoying the story thus far? Drop me a message? <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, sorry!

Steve…really could kick himself for not seeing this coming. He should have known better. _They_ should have known better. Because _nothing_ got past Bucky these days.

“H-hey, Buck,” Steve chirped.

He’d barely stumbled through the door, Tony wrapped up in his arms, lips all kinds of busy before Bucky had- _very loudly-_ cleared his throat.

As soon as they’d sprung apart and gotten a proper look at Bucky, sitting up in one of the oversized chairs in the living room, arms crossed and a devastating _scowl_ on his tired face, they realized they were maybe a bit screwed.

But as soon as he narrowed his eyes and outright _glared_ at the pair, muttering, “and just _where_ have you two been?” In the lowest register Steve was sure he’d ever heard from the man, Steve rephrased; they were _fucked_.

“W-we can explain-“ Tony tried to reason immediately and Steve swallowed hard, already nodding.

“Well someone better, because I am entirely too close to going Winter Solider on your asses and I don’t exactly have the patience of a saint-“

“I’m sorry, Bucky, we were just trying to help. Tony wanted to go to the restaurant where she works and we ended up talking to her, he t-tipped her and we had a nice dinner and then we dropped her off at home-“

Tony made a sad little noise and turned his wide-eyed stare on the blond incredulously.

Bucky _growled_ and Steve’s heart fluttered, feeling like trapped prey when Bucky jumped up from his seat and rounded on them. “What _else_ did you two do?” He demanded.

“Uh, w-well Tony e-explained the apartment that’s under construction, though he didn’t exactly explain how it was paid for,” He grimaced and Bucky’s eyes narrowed somehow further.

“ _Steve-_ “ Tony whisper hissed, the blond shooting him an apologetic glance before looking back to Bucky.

“B-but then he mentioned a temporary place for her to stay and said that you’d explain it to her on Monday. We promised to help her move, which was sort of a given and Tony-“

Steve swallowed thickly, unsure if he wanted to be the one to tell Bucky this or let Tony do the talking. “And Tony _what_ , Steve?” Bucky asked lowly, gaze flickering to Tony and pinning the genius with his stare.

Tony maybe trembled a little beneath his gaze.

“He gave her a job,”Steve blurted and was entirely unprepared for Bucky to snap his gaze back to him, cursing in what sounded like three different languages.

He spun on his heel and they watched nervously as he started to pace the length of the living room. His strides long and he looked all kinds of harried.

“Throw me under the bus, why don’t you,” Tony muttered and startled when Bucky turned back to fix him with a look and stalked towards him.

“ _I’m_ going to throw you under the bus,” Bucky threatened in nothing short of a growl, low and menacing and Tony shivered, because that was…not exactly an unpleasant sound.

 _Huh_.

And although Tony was sort of terrified to have an angry advancing super soldier heading his way, there was something in Bucky’s eyes that threw him, because those probably weren’t angry tears.

Of course Tony instantly found himself softening at the sight and then Bucky blurted, “but first-“

He lunged for Tony unexpectedly and while Steve shouted and Tony gasped, neither made any move to do anything to stop it. Tony didn’t call the suit, partly because he knew Bucky wouldn’t _actually_ hurt him and partly because he’d seen those tears the moment they’d started. Steve hadn’t noticed, but he’d seen the way Tony was looking at Bucky, with that same fondness, that same care he showed towards him and the rest of the Team and knew they were alright.

Steve exhaled shakily and watched as Bucky lunged for their friend, sweeping him into the biggest, fiercest hug he could manage _without_ breaking any of Tony’s bones.

Tony’s breath _whooshed_ from his lungs as he was wrapped up entirely too tight, but of course he still had room to huff a wheezy laugh when he realized that Bucky was fucking _hugging him_.

“Y-you’re gonna’ _hug me_ , first?” Tony managed to squeak and Bucky grumbled under his breath, the sound practically vibrating in his chest and making Tony shiver.

“And _then_ I’m gonna’ throw you under the damn bus,” He threatened weakly and Steve and Tony could practically _hear_ the tears gathering, his voice choked with the fight not to cry.

Steve sighed and Bucky slowly started to release their friend, taking a step back to give him some space. Tony sighed deeply, exasperated fondness written all over his face. “Was it the job thing that got you?”

Bucky blew out a slow breath. “It…might be…but you are going to tell me _exactly_ what you did from the time you left the kitchen after our conversation,” He ordered, voice gruff. “And if you leave out so much as a single detail, I will personally make sure that you and Steve are cock-blocked for the rest of time, do you understand?”

Steve startled, an embarrassed noise escaping him. “ _Bucky,_ we didn’t-we haven’t-“

Steve’s jaw snapped shut with an audible _click_ and Tony flushed. They…hadn’t exactly been subtle, he supposed.

“Okay, that was sort of out of left field, not gonna’ lie,” Tony laughed nervously. “We were going to tell you eventually-“

“Tell me?” Bucky blurted, confused now.

“Y-yeah, about us and uh-“ He cleared his throat. “You were going to find out sooner rather than later about Clara working for me.”

“First of all-“ Bucky started. “You two are about as subtle as a bull in a china shop,” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose lightly with the metal hand.

“What?” Steve breathed quietly.

Bucky fixed his friend with a _look_. “Steve, you are so transparent when it comes to Tony, I’m surprised the whole damn _world_ doesn’t know you’rehead over heels for ‘im and you’re no better!” He admonished when Tony started to snicker.

Steve blinked, a flush rising to his cheeks obviously caught off guard and Tony just blew out a breath because he was just so damn _adorable_ when he blushed and he might be a little embarrassed himself seeing as Bucky had just outed him too.

“What I am surprised about,” Bucky went on. “Was that you finally pulled your heads out your asses and did something about it. What finally did it?”

Steve made a curiously affronted noise and Bucky rolled his eyes looking between them.

“Okay, so-“ Tony started, amusement clear as anything in his voice, even if he did shift nervously. “I didn’t see this coming, but I shouldn’t be all that surprised and uh, what did it? _Thaat_ would have to be my idea to go to dinner to meet Clara.”

“No-“ Steve interrupted with a sigh, embarrassed and flushing to the tips of his ears now. “The damned suit you’ve got on is what made me finally lose it.”

Tony arched a brow. “ _Really?_ ”

“Yes, _really_ ,” Steve sighed, scrunching up his nose.

“But I wear this suit all the time!” Tony blurted and Steve sighed _very_ deeply.

“I’m well aware,” He muttered and Bucky just shook his head because _seriously?_

“Idiots, the both of you,” He muttered and Tony rolled his eyes.

Steve merely sighed, because yeah, they sort of were. “The idea to go to dinner made me put on the suit, ergo it was _my_ idea,” Tony attempted to reason.

“Uh huh-“ Bucky interrupted. “That’s great and all, but whose idea was it to hire her?”

Tony winced a bit. “That’d be all him,” Steve said happily and the genius scowled at the blond.

“Uh huh-“ Bucky muttered, _again_. “So, you’ve given her a job-“

“Yes, I needed an assistant-“ Tony grimaced when Bucky narrowed his eyes sharply. “Just for the few days I go into work to file paperwork. I hate answering the phones.”

“O- _kay_ ,” Bucky agreed. “So she’s quitting her other ones?”

“She’s keeping the job at the restaurant,” Steve explained and Tony nodded.

“She likes it there and it’s probably not a bad gig. She only works Friday and Saturday nights by the looks of it and she’ll be relatively free to do as she likes during the week when I’m not in the office-“

“Which is _most_ of the week,” Steve consoled and Tony nodded quickly.

“She’ll be getting health benefits, salaried of course, bonuses and all the other perks of working at SI.”

Bucky exhaled roughly. “That sounds…fair.”

Tony nodded quickly. “I promise you, she’ll be much, _much_ happier working for me and now she won’t have to worry about the medical bills-“

“You already paid them?” Bucky blurted and Tony shook his head, hands shooting up placatingly.

“N-not yet, no. I uh, I have plans to pay them in the morning and then I thought I would take her to lunch-“

“W-what?” Bucky asked quietly and Tony blinked.

“Uh, I just thought it might be nice to spend some time with her, talk to her about the bill thing. I don’t think she’s really taken the time to look after herself and I thought maybe I could take her out shopping or…” He trailed off and Bucky blinked.

“What…exactly-“ Bucky started to say slowly. “Makes you think that it’s okay to do those things with her?”

“I _don’t_ think it’s okay?” Tony said uncertainly.

He maybe knew he was crossing a line somewhere…probably all of them, but he thought she could honestly use a day to look after herself and he could totally help with that.

Tony knew it was the right answer, however, even if it was technically the wrong one. He grimaced when Bucky fixed him with a flat look.“I wasn’t trying to steal her or anything!” He defended, gesturing wildly to Steve. “I’ve got Mr. _Throw Tony under the bus and run_ all to myself!”

Bucky rolled his eyes and could swear he _heard_ Steve rolling his own. “I didn’t think you were trying to steal her,” He grumbled petulantly and Tony guffawed.

“Then what’s got your panties in a twist?!”

Bucky grimaced and shifted self-consciously. “I’m not-“

“It’s a figure of speech, Buck,” Steve sighed and Bucky huffed in annoyance, because of course it was.

“I’m just-“ He faltered, taking a deeper breath. “I feel like you’re doing all this and making her aware of it so plainly that it feels like you’re buttering her up…to spend time with me.”

Tony’s face fell. “What? Bucky _no_ , that’s not-I didn’t want it to come across like that-“

“But it does, doesn’t it? You’ve gone and given her stability, will solve her financial problems soon enough and you’re going to go shopping with her tomorrow and give her all these nice things and what, tell her to have a nice lunch with me?” He shook his head. “How do I know she’s not just going to go to lunch with me now because she feels guilty for accepting everything you’ve given her?” He asked sadly.

Tony shook his head, at a loss. He looked to Steve for help but he was frowning and shaking his head. “That’s not what he is trying to do at all, Buck.”

“But that’s what it _looks_ like. What it _feels_ like,” Bucky breathed.

Tony exhaled harshly. “ _Bucky,_ I don’t mean for it to be taken that way, _honestly._ S-she showed an interest in you when you first met, you said it yourself. You talked and you told her you wanted to help and you have and s-she is thankful, of course she is and she’s already said yes to having lunch with you. My doing these things for her shouldn’t affect her opinion of you.”

Bucky looked away. “People aren’t trustworthy, Tony. You of all people should know that. Just because she showed an interest then, doesn’t mean she can’t change her mind, have second thoughts or b-be _bought,_ won over with money and toys.”

“ _Bucky-_ “ Steve pleaded and Bucky glanced towards them both, noting Tony’s absolutely crestfallen expression…Steve’s wasn’t much better.

“If she’s a good person, then no, it shouldn’t affect her opinion of me, but if she’s not? Then what? She’ll feel obligated to spend time with me? That’s what you were talking about earlier, wasn’t it? You said you didn’t want her and I to start off getting to know one another where she felt like she _owed_ me something. But now she’ll feel like she owes _you_ something and m-maybe she’ll put up with me because of it.”

“That’s not-“ Tony shook his head firmly. “We talked and she spoke about wanting to pay me back and I shut that down quickly and I’ll remind her tomorrow too. I told her she doesn’t owe me a dime, not money, not favours, _nothing_. All I’ve asked of her is to work hard for me and do what she wants, whenever she wants…except when I need her in the office.”

Bucky exhaled shakily. “And she agreed?”

Tony’s gaze turned sad then. “Maybe?”

Bucky didn’t have the heart to press and simply frowned, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Just-make it clear, okay? D-don’t let her try and do something nice for me just because she thinks she owes you something. I don’t even know if that’s-“ He sighed.

“I’ll make it clear,” Tony promised and Bucky nodded, still unable to meet his gaze.

“Maybe I shouldn’t take her to lunch-“

“ _Bucky-_ “ They both sighed.

“Please don’t back out now, she’s really looking forward to seeing you,” Tony pleaded.

“She said that?” He asked quietly and Tony smiled.

“She got all starry eyed when I spoke about you on the drive back to her apartment. I think it’s safe to say she’s looking forward to it,” Tony huffed and Steve shot his friend a reassuring smile.

Bucky exhaled slowly and glanced away. “You two didn’t scare her or anything when you went to her work?”

“No,” Steve promised. “At least, we tried not to.”

Tony nodded quickly. “At first she thought we were there to _give her a talking to_ ,” He admitted. “At first, anyway but we told her pretty quickly that, that wasn’t the case.”

“She was a lot more relaxed after that,” Steve explained.

“Until I asked her if she wanted to play her violin for us when she insisted on saying _thank you_ ,” Tony chuckled and Bucky stilled.

“D-did she play for you?”

Tony glanced to Steve for help but Steve was already wincing. Bucky took one look at him and turned tail and fled towards his room.

“That…did not go well,” Tony sighed and Steve frowned, leaning back against the front door.

“No, no it didn’t,” He agreed. “I’ll get the hot chocolate?”

“And I’ll get all the blankets,” Tony sighed.

They owed Bucky an apology. Maybe he’d let them in to sit and watch a movie or something. Steve knew Bucky wouldn’t be immune to his famous hot chocolate so he had to at least try.


	6. Chapter 6

Clara exhaled shakily and tried again. “What do you _mean_ my account has been closed?”

The bank teller grimaced slightly and shook her head. “It’s not your account, Miss Dealu. It’s the account you’re attempting to make a bill payment towards.”

“But I don’t understand, I made a payment just last week, how can it be closed?” She shifted uncomfortably and set her violin case down between her feet, brow furrowed in confusion.

“I can try and look into recent payments, Miss and see if there is anything odd.”

Clara nodded, worrying at her lower lip. “Yes, please and is it going to be any trouble to deposit that cheque? Will the funds be held?”

The teller glanced down at the cheque she’d slid across the counter. She stared at it a moment and Clara tried hard not to take offence when the woman flipped the cheque over to squint at the back before scrutinizing the front again too.

When she glanced back up and saw that Clara had been watching her she flushed lightly. “There shouldn’t be an issue with the cheque, Miss Dealu. But the funds may be held for 24 to 48 hours,” She explained and Clara nodded, not at all surprised.

It wasn’t like she blamed the woman for being skeptical. She’d never deposited a cheque quite like that before and she was sure the woman could tell that just by looking at her accounts.

“Of c-course, I understand,” She agreed and the teller seemed to relax a fraction.

“Just bare with me a moment while I pull up your recent account payments,” She explained and Clara nodded, trying to remain patient.

It didn’t take more than a moment before the teller was frowning and shaking her head. “There was just that last payment you mentioned a week ago, of $540 from your chequing.”

“There must be a problem with the account then, I’ll-I’ll try and call them when I get home,” She agreed and the woman nodded, glancing back down to the cheque.

“Would you like me to deposit this then to your chequing?”

“ _Please-_ “ She agreed and watched as the teller nodded and picked up the cheque.

“I won’t be a moment,” She assured before locking her computer and walking away.

She watched as the teller made her way into one of the offices and she could see her speaking quietly to an older man behind the glass. Whatever she’d told him, the man was clearly curious and when his gaze found hers, she tried not to flush. They were clearly doubting the cheque’s authenticity.

Not that she blamed them, but-

“Excuse me, Miss?”

She startled when the young man who’d been standing a foot away speaking to another teller touched her elbow gently. “Y-yes?”

“Your cellphone seems to be ringing, perhaps you should-“

“ _Oh-_ “ She breathed, hastily fishing it out of her coat pocket. “T-thank you, I didn’t hear it.”

The man merely smiled and nodded before stepping back to continue his transaction.

She fumbled to open her phone and frowned when it stopped ringing. She didn’t have call display and the number came up Private so she really wasn’t sure what to do. She frowned and pocketed her phone slowly, gaze flickering up when the older man and teller stepped up to the counter together to speak to her.

“Hello, Miss Dealu,” He greeted and she nodded nervously.

“H-hello, Sir,” She greeted, gaze flickering between the pair.

“I’m sorry to be a bother but it’s my job as bank manager to question things when they don’t look quite right.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “O-of course, Sir.”

“And I’m questioning the integrity of this cheque,” He explained, holding the cheque out but making no move to relinquish his hold on it.

“ _Oh_ , I’m sorry to have caused you any trouble, Sir. But the cheque is genuine, Mr. Stark-“

“Mr. Stark-“ He interrupted. “Is a very high profile client of ours.”

“I u-understand,” She agreed, shifting uncomfortably. “But he did give that to me-“

“I’m sure he did,” The man sighed and Clara’s cheeks flushed with shame because he sounded entirely disbelieving of her and condescending to boot.

“He-“

“ _Sir-_ “

A young man popped his head out of one of the other offices with wide eyes. “There’s an important call for you on line 1.”

The man hummed and glanced back to Clara. “I will be right back, Miss, don’t go anywhere.”

Clara didn’t say anything but she did try and fight the heat building behind her eyes as she nodded, her gaze dropping to the counter.

The teller she’d been speaking to was still there, merely a few steps back behind the counter, having watched the interaction and when her manager disappeared back into his office to take the call, she leaned forward and whispered, “I am sorry about this.”

Clara nodded, more than embarrassed at this point. “It’s not your fault,” She said quietly.

They were quiet again after that when the manager suddenly appeared looking almost ashen as he hastily handed the cheque over to the teller. “Deposit this immediately, Maureen. _No holds-_ “ He ordered and Maureen jumped to do so, her eyes a bit wide.

“O-of course, Sir.”

Clara looked between the pair curiously when the man’s gaze settled on her. “I am terribly sorry, Miss Dealu for the confusion. I just received a phone call from Mr. Stark and he wished for me to pass along a message to you.”

Clara’s cheeks flushed and her eyes widened. “ _Oh?_ ”

He nodded and cleared his throat slightly. “He said it’s polite to answer your phone.”

A startled laugh escaped her at that and she flushed even darker as she nodded, fishing her phone out of her pocket once again. “I m-must have missed his call,” She explained and the manager nodded, still pale as anything.

“ _Right_ , well-“ He cleared his throat. “There won’t be any holds and this will be deposited immediately.”

“Oh-“ She cleared her throat slightly when she watched the teller stamp it and slip it into her drawer. “T-that’s good.”

They both nodded at her, a strained smile on the manager’s face and a curious one on the teller’s. And of course her cellphone started ringing again. “I s-should probably get this,” She explained, smiling a bit sheepishly as she waved the phone a bit.

“O-of course, Miss. Thank you and have a pleasant day,” The manager agreed, watching with wide eyes as she raised the phone and hit the answer button.

“H-hello?” She asked hesitantly, picking up her violin case and making her way hastily towards the doors.

“ _Finally-_ “ Tony sighed and she flushed to the tips of her ears with embarrassment. “You are a tough woman to reach, Miss Dealu.”

She laughed nervously into the phone as she pushed her way out into the courtyard, carefully maneuvering around other New Yorkers as she headed for the steps. “I’ve been getting a lot of _Miss Dealu_ ’s this morning. How about Clara instead?”

Tony chuckled softly over the line and her nose crinkled adorably at the sound. “Alright, _Clara._ I hear you’ve been at the bank this morning.”

She flushed lightly. “I am just leaving now actually. They weren’t sure if the cheque was genuine.”

“ _Ah_ , yes, well I took care of that bit, so don’t worry about it,” He assured her and she hummed softly, finding a less busy spot to stand by at the bottom of the stairs.

“T-thank you for that,” She chuckled and she could practically see his smile when he next spoke.

“You are _very_ welcome, Clara. _Now_ , where are you off to?”

She shrugged a bit and glanced around her. “Probably back to my apartment? I don’t have much packing to do, I was up half the night-“ He chuckled softly and she smiled, ducking her head.

“Eager to get out of there?” He asked her gently.

“ _Yes-_ “ She breathed, sighing softly. “But I suppose now I have to call the admin board to deal with a bill payment and waste half my day on hold.”

“ _Oh?_ ”

She hummed. “Yes, I tried to make a payment to my father’s medical, but the account number wasn’t being accepted.”

There was a pregnant pause and then Tony cleared his throat. “That’s rather strange.”

And there was something in his tone that made her still from where she was about to step out onto the sidewalk.

“It is…” She said, _very_ carefully.

“ _Well_ , I’m sure it’s nothing. In fact, I’m _so_ sure it’s nothing that I think we should go to lunch-“

“ _Tony-_ “ She breathed, her eyes wide and chest constricting. “What did you do?”

There was a heavy breath on the other end of the line and then a soft, “Why do people _always_ accuse me of _doing something?_ ”

She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. “B-because I think in this case you _did_ do something,” She gasped.

“Okay, _fair_ ,” Tony agreed. “Because I did-“

“ _Tony-_ “

“ _Hang on a minute-_ “ He scolded. “Can you just-“ He blew out a frustrated breath. “Look to your left, darling.”

“ _What-_ “ She started, gaze quickly snapping to her left to find Tony _fucking_ Stark standing and leaning back against a _very_ expensive looking-and pretty-red sports car, phone held to his ear.

He smiled at her and she made another desperate noise into the phone. “Come over here and get in the car, _please?_ ” He asked of her and she merely shook her head in disbelief, not a _no_ as she made her way slowly towards him.

He hung up and pocketed his phone as she stopped in front of him and he glanced pointedly to her… _ew_ ,flip phone and she closed it, pocketing it absently. “Take a breath and-“ He opened the passenger door. “Have a seat.”

She didn’t even nod, just took a shaky breath and slid into the front seat, practically _clutching_ her violin to her breast. Tony sighed and closed the door before rounding the car and slipping into his own seat.

They were quiet as he pulled out into traffic and then…didn’t get anywhere. Because _traffic_. “Well, seeing as we have some time,” He started, clearing his throat slightly when she snapped her gaze towards him.

“ _Tony-_ “

“ _Alright_ , so I took care of your bills-“

She exhaled harshly and Tony watched worriedly as she curled over her violin and ran shaky hands through her hair and tugged on the strands roughly. He grimaced and went to touch her hand lightly to make her stop but he didn’t anticipate the bodily flinch she gave.

“Sorry-“ He quickly apologized as she sat up and turned to look at him with wide eyes. “That didn’t look entirely pleasant.”

She made a softly wounded noise and Tony shook his head, a bit at a loss. “Y-you just-“ She shook her head. “ _Took care of my bills?_ ”

Tony nodded slowly. “To be fair, I take care of lots of peoples bills so this wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary-“

She whined helplessly, her hands curling and digging into her violin case. “Y-you can’t j-just-“

“Why does everyone like to _insist_ that I can’t do something?”

“Probably because you _should’t_ be doing something-“

He scoffed, putting his foot on the gas a bit as they started moving again. “That’s stupid, if I can do something, I do it.”

“Without being _asked_ _to-_ “

“Of course, why should I wait for someone to tell me it’s okay when they’ll never say it is?” He defended and she stared at him flatly and then made a sharp motion with her hands as if to say, _that’s my point!_

He scowled at her and then looked back to the road. “You’re too clever. Can we pretend this conversation didn’t happen?”

“ _No-_ “ She blurted. “Because you s-still paid off-paid off my-“ She whimpered softly and buried her face in her hands.

Tony sighed, softening considerably as he looked to her. “Clara, listen-“ He asked. “I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped. I tend to do that a lot and you know, most of the time I feel not great about it but in this case? I feel pretty damn good about it.”

She shot him a withering look and he winced. “If I can help pay off someone’s debts, a debt not of their own making-“ He shrugged. “Why shouldn’t I? Why _wouldn’t_ I?”

He sighed, shaking his head as he let himself look her over. She looked more tired than he’d remembered from last night. She was also dressed in far more comfortable clothes, well, sort of. She still had heels on, the same pair, he noticed and dress pants, but her jacket was open a bit and he could see a simple blue sweater hiding beneath.

Her hair was also a bit of an untidy mess, not dirty, just _fluffy_. Like she’d just washed it and left it to do what it wanted. It was cute, left her hair looking bouncy with a slight wave to it. He smiled at her warmly and shook his head.

“Come on, we’re going to lunch and I have a few phone calls to make,” He sighed and she merely turned her disbelieving gaze upon him because what else was she going to do?

“Okay,” She agreed quietly and Tony’s gaze snapped back to her.

“ _Really?_ ”

She laughed, a tear escaping one of her cobalt eyes and Tony’s gaze softened. “ _Now_ you’re concerned about what I want?”

“Well, I was sure I was being too pushy and you were just going to snap at me and I’d apologize and drop you back at your apartment,” He admitted, smiling a little wryly at her.

She shook her head, clearly surprised. “How could I ever yell at you and mean it? You just-“ She inhaled deeply. “You just took care of something I have been struggling with, something that keeps me up at night, something that I think about day in and day out, like it was _nothing_ and-“ She swallowed thickly. “I am _so grateful_ for what you’ve done for me but I truly don’t know how to repay you and yelling at you is so far from the top of my list it’s a wonder I’ve not yelled at you _because_ you think that I would.”

“You don’t have to repay me,” He murmured, glancing quickly to her as he pulled onto the freeway. “I already told you.”

“You did,” She agreed. “But unfortunately, that’s not going to stop me from trying, _in my own way-_ “ She rushed to explain when he looked ready to interject.

He exhaled shakily and shook his head. “I don’t like relationships where people think they _owe me_ anything.”

She shrugged lightly and sat back more in her seat. “I don’t think that.”

Tony frowned and then narrowed his eyes when she murmured, “I know it.”

.

They didn’t argue again about it for a while, not until they’d sat down for lunch and he’d finished making his phone calls. His phone call to Pepper to set up the appointment on Tuesday morning, his phone call to a spa only fifteen-minutes away and then _another_ phone call to a boutique she’d only ever read about in magazines.

“I’m not going.”

“Sure you are! Because I’m going with you,” He announced and she glowered at him petulantly before becoming distracted when their server returned with their lunch.

When they’d arrived at a very prestigious restaurant, sans reservation, it’d taken them no more than a minute to be seated. She should have been surprised, but really, why bother? This _was_ Tony Stark after all.

They’d been shown to a table for two and Tony had watched as she’d nervously fiddled with her coat but made no move to rid herself of it. “Is something wrong?”

“Pardon?” She asked, gaze snapping towards him, surprised when he stood and motioned her to as well.

“Here, let me take your coat,” He offered, frowning when she remained seated.

“I don’t think I should take it off.”

“Why not? It’s quite warm in here and you have a sweater on, I’m sure you’ll roast-“

“It-“ She shook her head, flushing lightly. “This is a nice restaurant, Mr. Stark-“

“ _Tony-_ “ He corrected automatically, already shaking his head.

“ _Tony-_ “ She sighed. “And I’m hardly dressed appropriately.”

He scoffed and lightly touched her elbow. “You’re with me, I don’t care what you’re wearing and they won’t either.”

She huffed softly but let him guide her to her feet. He was rather surprised by what she had on underneath, however, and even if what he said had been true, he could see how she might be a bit uncomfortable.

Because she wasn’t simply wearing a sweater beneath her coat. It was a cropped long sleeved sweater that ended just above her navel and she was wearing a set of black suspenders, _suspenders_. _Oh,_ but Steve and Bucky were going to _love her_.

“Showing a midriff is hardly out of fashion,” He chuckled, watching as she blushed and quickly sat back down.

He draped her jacket over the back of her chair and took up his seat and if she stayed pink for most of her meal and kept her arm crossed over her stomach, that was just between them…and maybe their server.

.

“I’m drawing the line-“ She announced, arms folded petulantly over her chest.

Tony sighed, wondering what it was this time. He glanced back towards the racks of clothing he’d had brought in for her to try on and then back to her. She stood tall in a ridiculously expensive pair of heels-not that she knew the price-wearing naught but a gorgeous pleated skirt and a pretty-albeit rather sheer-cream bodice with _lots_ of lace scalloping in a rather sharp _v_.

“Alright, what are we drawing the line at now?” He sighed, watching her cheeks flush even darker.

He swore she hadn’t stopped blushing since they’d arrived at the spa and that had been almost three hours ago now.

“You picked out _lingerie_ for me. That’s-“

“Rather inappropriate, don’t you think?”

She scowled at him as if to say, _uh yes_. He smirked. “ _I_ didn’t pick it out, Susan did,” He announced, turning to look at the young woman who’d been assisting them.

Susan of course looked like a deer caught in headlights right then and she nodded automatically. “ _Right_ , yes I did. I t-thought it would look elegant yet risky under this blazer,” She explained, picking up a black blazer.

Clara shifted awkwardly, arms still crossed over her chest. “ _Oh._ ”

Tony huffed, rolling his eyes and when Clara hesitantly took the blazer and slipped it on, he winked at Susan who merely pursed her lips and tried to ignore him.

They’d been trying on clothes for the last forty-minutes or so, Tony keeping himself busy trying on various ties while Susan helped her put together a dozen outfits or so with Tony’s input from time to time. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that she liked to wear high heels with most of her outfits _and_ dress pants. The suspenders he couldn’t resist asking her about and she’d laughed and said she’d always liked the look of them on men and one day she tried on a pair of her father’s and wore them all the time now.

She liked to look professional, something he too enjoyed, even if he also liked to dress like a bum around the workshop or in the privacy of his own apartment. She liked her dress pants and dress shirts, some cropped, some buttoned, some flowy and sheer in places. He thought her overall style _without_ their help was rather unique.

He was reminded of a film he’d seen recently, _A Simple Favour_ and realized that she mirrored the main character’s style in her own way, even if it wasn’t _quite_ as daring.

They spent another hour looking at shoes and things and it didn’t take much longer before Tony was insisting everything be packed up to be delivered to her at her temporary address. Unfortunately, she missed that conversation and when she’d come out, dressed in her own clothes with a few items draped over her arms. Soft looking things, maybe pyjamas, track pants and what looked to be a satin robe, she discovered that he’d already made arrangements.

She’d known that he intended to pay for everything and had done her best not to select too many things. She’d also held on to a few items that she wanted to pay for. They’d argued about it on the drive over, it felt like all they did was argue about him buying things for her but he just kept doing it and she really wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“Will you stop it?” She hissed. “I can buy these myself,” She told him, butting in front of him and placing the few items she’d held onto the counter for the young woman to ring up.

Tony sighed deeply, realizing that she was _actually_ done with his shit and nodded, stepping back a bit, but not before resting his hand on her hip and leaning over her shoulder to watch Susan fold up the satin robe.

“I know you can buy them yourself, I gave you the money to do so,” He winked at her when she tensed at his touch and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

“You are incorrigible,” She breathed.

He chuckled, pleased as he pulled back. “All my friends seem to think so.”

She rolled her eyes and handed over her debit card, Susan smirking lightly as she took it.

.

They made it back to the car without incident, Tony explaining that everything would be delivered to her temporary apartment.

“You know, you haven’t told me where that is,” She sighed, slipping into the passenger seat again.

He hummed and pulled on his sunglasses. “No, I haven’t,” He agreed and resisted the urge to smirk when she huffed and crossed her arms.

“Still not going to tell me?”

“ _Nope_ ,” He agreed, popping the _p_.

She rolled her eyes and settled back into her seat, glancing down to her violin case at her feet.

“Bucky will be happy to tell you all about it tomorrow at lunch,” He told her and she exhaled shakily, arms dropping slightly.

“Right,” She breathed, mind drifting off to the thought of sitting down to lunch with the man. “I don’t suppose Steve _or_ Bucky know you’re with me today, do they?”

“They do,” He chuckled and she looked to him curiously.

“They do?”

Tony hummed softly and nodded. “I talked to them about it last night,” He admitted and sheblinked in confusion.

“You…talked to _Bucky_ about it?”

Tony nodded, glancing to her out of the corner of his eye. “I did, I told him you needed a day to relax and take care of yourself for once. He…didn’t think it was a terrible idea, but he wasn’t exactly pleased that I was most likely going to push you into it.”

She huffed softly and picked absently at the hem of her coat as he turned down the street of her apartment building. “You weren’t… _that_ pushy.”

“ _Oh good-_ “ Tony breathed and she smiled at him reluctantly.

“Is that why you wanted to take me out today, though?” She asked quietly and Tony faltered for a moment, unsure of how to broach the subject.

He cleared his throat slightly and slipped into a parking space not far from her building. “Yes,” He agreed quietly, shutting the car off and turning to look at her properly. “You don’t strike me as the type to put yourself above others.”

She exhaled shakily and looked away. “Speaking from first hand experience?”

Tony huffed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m good at reading people, that’s all.”

Clara cupped her face in her hands, looking down at the floor of the car, her violin. “I don’t know how to handle all this,” She confessed and Tony nodded, looking out the window for a long moment.

“I’m really not surprised,” He admitted. “But…I think you’re stronger than you look, stronger than you think you are.”

She looked up at this and glanced over at him. “I’m very grateful for what you’ve done for me.”

Tony smiled, turning his gaze on her. “I know you are, but can you answer me one question?”

She nodded and watched as he seemed to struggle with his question for a moment.

“Why are you going to lunch with Bucky?”

She frowned slightly. “Is this a trick question?” She murmured but when Tony’s expression didn’t change, she exhaled shakily. “I like him, I mean, I’d like to get to know him,” She admitted, looking down at her hands, now folded in her lap.

“He was very sweet to me, did something he didn’t have to just to make me smile, make a stranger feel better,” She shrugged lightly. “Getting to know someone like that, seems like it’d be a stupid thing not to.”

Tony smiled at her response and watched as she glanced out the window at the never-ending passerby’s strolling along the sidewalk. “There was something so kind in his eyes, so warm,” She murmured. “Despite everything he’s been through, I could see it as if it were overflowing.”

Tony…didn’t know what to say to all that.

“He’s a big teddy bear,” He blurted and Clara turned to look at him, a small tilt to her lips.

“Yeah, he a big softie like you?”

Tony scoffed. “I’m not a _softie_ -“

“No?” She huffed. “Could have fooled me,” She teased and Tony rolled his eyes, looking away.

They were quiet for a beat and Clara shifted slightly in her seat. “Why did you ask me that?”

Tony flickered a glance in her direction and then out the window. “Just wanted to know what you thought of him. He’s…we’re very protective of him, is all.”

Clara smiled shyly and looked away. “He’s got some very good friends looking out for him, I get it.”

Tony nodded, watching her carefully for a long moment, watching her eyes shine and her smile soften. The look on her face was fond and Tony didn’t…he wasn’t sure how such a short meeting between the two could have woken something in them so easily.

He didn’t believe in love at first sight. Lust, sure, but not love. Maybe this was something different, though. Adoration, perhaps? Their protective instincts coming in to play when he’d learned of her situation and she…she obviously aware of where he’d come from, the life he’d led.

He exhaled shakily at the thought. “At the risk of this turning into a shovel talk…I think you’d better head up, finish your packing and anything else you might need to do.”

Clara bit her lower lip hard and nodded, gathering her case and shifting to open the door. “I’ll-I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

Tony nodded, smiling at her gently. “Yeah, Steve and I will meet you both tomorrow afternoon. We’ll have a truck with us and a couple extra movers if need be.”

She nodded and pushed open the door. “Thank you, Tony. Thank you for everything.”

“Go on,” He murmured, glancing away; he never did do well with thanks. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She smiled at him gently and nodded, slipping out of the vehicle with her things. She stood on the sidewalk for a long moment as she watched him pull away from the curb, no doubt heading for home and she wondered how the world had gotten him so wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

That evening, Tony went in search of Steve and Bucky when the blond sent him a simple text.

_Bring blankets._

He found the pair buried under the quilt they kept on the sofa, all of the throw pillows and stray blankets from their apartment scattered around on the floor with them. Bucky was curled up on the floor in front of the TV while it played one of his favourite _Disney_ films; _The Little Mermaid_ while Steve sat back against the front of the couch with a blanket pooled in his lap and arms wrapped around a pillow.

He shot one look at Steve and the blond gave him a timid smile and inclined his head towards him. He joined them on the floor, tossing a few extra blankets and more pillows from his room down for them to use.

He smiled hopefully over at Steve when he caught sight of the steaming mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table. “That for me?” He murmured and Steve nodded.

“It’s all yours,” He whispered quietly and Tony hummed, already reaching for it.

Bucky exhaled quietly as they settled back in and listened to Ariel sing to the sea witch and after a while he glanced over at Tony nervously. “How did today go?”

Tony’s gaze softened as he lowered his mug. “It went really well, she’s really sweet, Bucky.”

Bucky looked away hurriedly and Tony tried not to smile too wide when he and Steve shared a quiet look with one another.

“That’s good,” He said gruffly and Tony hummed, inhaling the scent of his hot chocolate, trying not to get any whipped cream on his nose as he did so.

They watched the movie in relative quiet for a while but eventually Bucky broke it with a quiet murmur. “W-when she played for you,” Bucky started, quiet and careful. “Was it beautiful?”

Steve breathed in deeply and met Tony’s gaze. “Yeah, Buck. She played beautifully.”

Bucky hummed, burying his face half under the blankets again. He knew she would.

.

“You are _waay_ over thinking this,” She muttered, staring up at her bedroom ceiling like a complete and utter dork.

She frowned and forced herself to sit up, crossing her legs and digging her elbows into her thighs. “It’s just one button, all you have to do is push _one button_ ,” She sighed, scrunching her face up in frustration.

She whined and hastily snatched up her cellphone, flipping it open, the stupid thing already set to the message she’d started over an hour ago. All she had to do was press _send_ and it would be out of her hands. It’d be done, quick and, probably not painless.

She grimaced and stared down at the dimly lit screen and huffed. She really needed a new phone. She exhaled harshly and glanced around her bedroom, everything packed up save for a change of clothes for the morning and a few toiletries. She’d have to call him in the morning eventually, she just…thought it might be nice to reach out tonight.

She bit down hard on her lower lip and looked to the foot of the bed where her cello and violin were propped up against the piano bench, safely held within in their cases. Her gaze flickered back to the open phone in her hands and she took a deep breath before pressing _send_.

“There, _done-_ “ She announced and tossed the phone toward the end of the bed, practically flinging herself back against her pillows.

.

“What the-“ Bucky jumped, startled when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He squirmed out from under the blankets and Steve and Tony snickered while he flipped over to try and fish it out, nearly elbowing Steve in the process. “ _Sorry-_ “ He apologized and the blond rolled his eyes, waiting for him to settle again before he stole the pillow Bucky had been using.

“Who’s texting you?” Steve yawned, blinking tiredly as he pulled the blankets tighter around his shoulders.

They’d been watching _Disney_ movies for the last three hours and were currently on _Snow White_ because Steve had _maybe_ begged. Neither had the heart to say no to him.

Bucky shrugged, not entirely sure who would be texting him this time of night either. He squinted at the screen in confusion. He didn’t recognize the number. He thumbed the unlock button and clicked on the messaging icon, the screen nearly blinding him with its white background before he flicked it into nighttime mode. He really needed to set that up properly at some point.

He frowned down at the screen for a fraction of a second before what he saw made him nearly fumble the phone, cheeks filling quickly with warmth. Unfortunately, there was no way to hide his inelegant scramble from their blanket pile and while Tony laughed when he stumbled, Steve only looked even more concerned.

“ _Bucky_ , what’s the matter?”

“ _Nothing-_ “ He lied, much too quickly, grimacing when both sets of eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Just, uh-“ He cleared his throat, slipping his phone down at his side, screen still lit up. “I’ll be right back, just got a cramp in my leg.”

Steve arched a brow and shared a _very_ curious look with Tony when Bucky then fled the room, the sound of his footsteps heading towards his bedroom following; but there wasn’t the sound of a door closing…

.

Bucky stared down at the tiny screen, the text messaging application bright and blue, those dozen or so words staring back at him as if they were written in neon.

_Hi Bucky, it’s Clara. I hope I’m not bothering you but I just wanted to tell you that I was thinking about you and I know I said I’d call in the morning but I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind a text._

Bucky didn’t mind, even if his heart was practically lodged in his throat. But what the hell was he supposed to say? He shifted uncomfortably and sat down on the edge of his bed, still staring down at his phone, at a bit of a loss.

 _She’s been thinking about me?_ He wondered, swallowing thickly. “What am I supposed to say to that?” He mumbled, blushing hotly at the notion because _he’d_ certainly been thinking of _her_.

He just hadn’t exactly thought it would work both ways. He worried at his bottom lip as he stared down at the screen. It’d already been a few minutes since she’d sent the message and he didn’t want her to think that he might not reply. He shifted back onto the bed and stared down at his phone nervously and typed out a message.

_Hi Clara, you’re not bothering me and I don’t mind texting._

He hit send before he could second guess himself and then scrambled to type out, _I had hoped I wasn’t the only one with my head in the clouds today._

Hitting send this time around was a lot harder, even if he meant every word. _Was that too forward?_ He wondered, scrunching up his nose he decided _fuck it_ and hit send, perhaps harder than necessary. At least StarkPhones were sturdy.

But of course the second he hit send he was panicking. He groaned and tossed his phone up the bed, turning over and burying his face in the comforter. “You’re an idiot, Barnes,” He muttered, squeezing his eyes shut. “You’re an assassin- _were-_ an assassin, you can totally talk to a woman, this should be easy, this should-“ His breathing hitched when his phone lit up with an incoming message, the vibration of the thing near deafening in the quiet of his room.

He hesitated for only a split second before reaching for the phone, absently drawing one of his pillows down to scrunch under his head and the metal arm. He worried at his lower lip as he tried to work up the courage to unlock the damn thing. Whatever she said, it’d be fine. He could apologize-

He swiped it open to potentially do just that and stilled when he read her message. _Really? I had a rather busy day myself, I was pretty sure I must have been dreaming for most of it._

Bucky swallowed thickly. He’d not asked Tony what they’d done for the day, the genius offering up that he’d taken her to lunch and then they’d visited a spa. Bucky had raised a brow at that, because _really?_ But when he’d told her how much she seemed to enjoy herself, Bucky softened, even if he was the one who would have liked to have taken her somewhere to relax. He’d also told him that he’d set her up with a personal shopper to help her get together a few outfits for her new job at Stark Industries. Tony had played it up a bit of course, told him that she had sort of squawked at the idea until he teased her with, _but don’t you want to look nice for Bucky?_

He hadn’t _actually_ put it like that, but when they’d been deciding if she should take anything home with her for tomorrow, he’d suggested she take one particular outfit and offhandedly mentioned that she should wear it tomorrow, to lunch. She’d given him this _look_ and if she was blushing while it was wrapped and put into a couple of boxes for her to take with her, neither said a word about it.

Bucky shifted nervously to lie flat on his belly, curling around his pillow and holding the phone close to his face. He wondered what she thought of the day. It couldn’t have been easy, spending it with Tony. He could be rather overwhelming at times, even if he always meant well. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, wondering what to say.

_Oh?_

He felt a bit guilty for trying to get her to talk to him like that but he really wasn’t sure what else to say. He thankfully didn’t have to wait long for another message to come through.

_I had a bit of an overwhelming night yesterday and it seemed to carry on through to today. I’m not sure if you know everything…_

Bucky bit his lower lip. _I know a little at least. I found out that my so called friends came and harassed you at your work and I know Tony sort of kidnapped you today._

He smiled to himself after he hit send and almost immediately received a message back.

_Oh! They didn’t harass me, not at all and Tony didn’t kidnap me! I think they meant well, Mr. Stark can just be a bit…I’m not sure I have the right words for what he is._

Bucky laughed, startled but in a good way. He shook his head and typed out another quick message. _That seems to be the consensus around here, yeah. Overwhelming, maybe?_

 _That sounds about right_. _But he was very kind._ She agreed and Bucky nibbled his lower lip.

 _He is_. He agreed. Because what else was he to say? It wasn’t like it wasn’t true.

_He’s nothing like what the media makes him out to be. I was rather surprised but then again, I shouldn’t have been. The media is always trying to drag people down, it was clearly no different with him. Captain Rogers was very sweet too and I know they must care a great deal about you to have come to check up on someone you only just met._

Bucky blew out a rough breath and swallowed hard. She wasn’t wrong, that was for damned sure. _When I found out they’d gone to your work, I thought they’d gone to give you the third-degree._

_Oh, they did. But it wasn’t quite like that. I was afraid they’d come to warn me off meeting with you at first._

Bucky paused. He’d been ready to type out a quick, _nah, they’d never do something like that_ , when his brain latched on to the _afraid_ in her message. He quickly erased what he was going to say and wrote, _afraid?_

He quickly hit send and waited far longer for her next reply. He wondered if he’d somehow upset her when she took more than a minute to respond and he was about to apologize when he finally got a message back.

_Well, yes, I was looking forward to meeting with you tomorrow, getting to know you. You bought me that book for no other reason than that it looked like I was having a rough day and thought it might cheer me up. You invited me for coffee and were a great listener, even if I felt like a fool opening up to a stranger, to someone far more important, someone who probably really didn’t want to hear about my troubles. You pushed that notion from my mind pretty quickly though and when you said you might have a friend that could help me find a place to stay? I was floored, because who does that? Helps a complete stranger for no reason? You do apparently…and your friends._

Bucky must have read and re-read that message nearly a half dozen times over, trying to formulate some kind of response to all that, when another message came through.

_I’m very lucky to have met you, Bucky and it’s not just because of what you and your friends have done for me, are doing for me, no. There isn’t a lot of kindness in the world nowadays and I know that sounds pessimistic of me but with the hand I’ve been dealt, it’s hard to believe anything else. But meeting you, knowing only a fraction of what you have been through and to see you be so kind and inviting to a complete stranger? I am so grateful to have found that kindness in you, to know that there is still kindness in the world, even if sometimes it takes a long time to find._

Bucky let the air rush from his lungs, his eyes welling up with unexpected tears. He frowned and breathed in deeply a couple of times to collect himself. Because this woman was something else. He swallowed hard and went to type, when she interrupted him with another message.

_I’m sorry if that was too much. You forget that oversharing is a thing when you haven’t really shared anything with someone in a long time._

Bucky made a soft noise at that, because yeah, he got that.

 _It wasn’t too much._ He quickly replied, immediately starting up another message. _It was just a lot to parse through to answer you properly. I know the world isn’t the kindest place, I’ve lived without kindness for a very long time and I can’t stand to see someone unhappy for even a moment. It breaks my heart. If I can help, in any way, I’ll try. I’ll always try._

_You’re a good person, Bucky._

Bucky exhaled shakily and had to close his eyes to tamp down on the wave of emotion that wanted to choke him. Certain phrases, certain words, sometimes they made him feel too much and he didn’t know how to handle it, didn’t know how to accept it, accept the praise. He never felt deserving of it, wasn’t sure if he ever would again.

Regardless, he knew he _should_ feel deserving of it, even if he didn’t.

_Thank you._

It was all he could manage right then.

_I should be the one thanking you. What started as a terrible morning, turned into a very exciting, if not a bit overwhelming day and that turned into a weekend and somehow I don’t think it’s going to just stop there._

Bucky chuckled softly, still smiling. _No, probably not, especially since you’re going to be working for Tony. Good luck with that, by the way._

He could practically _see_ her smile when she next wrote back, _how on earth do I get myself into these messes? Working for Tony Stark, I must be dreaming or crazy. Probably crazy, that sounds more believable._

Bucky laughed, grinning down at his phone. _Nah, not crazy. Though, you might be by the time your first day is over._

He could picture her laughing, wished he could hear it too.

_Haha. You can’t see it, but I’m giving you a disappointed in you look._

Bucky barked out a surprised laugh and covered his mouth with the palm of his hand, blushing furiously. How was it this _easy?_ He shook his head, exhaling deeply.

 _I don’t doubt it._ He agreed. _But speaking of your new job, Tony mentioned that you were going into your other work and quitting tomorrow?_

_Yeah. I’m not exactly looking forward to it. But I’ve printed off my letter of resignation effective immediately and I’ve sent a copy to HR already. I’ll deliver this one to my boss because I do have a few small belongings there that I would like to grab._

_Ah. I hope it goes okay. I’m sure it’ll eel good to get out of there. He’s a real asshole, yeah?_

There was a pause in her texts after that, one Bucky worried over for a few minutes. Had he said something wrong?

_Yeah, he is. Do you think you might like to meet for breakfast instead? I know we said lunch, but I’ll be out of the apartment fairly early to head into the office._

Bucky worried at his lower lip, at least relieved she hadn’t gone. _Yeah, of course. Breakfast sounds good._

_Great, I can text you the address of this amazing little bakery not far from the bookstore? Unless you have somewhere else in mind?_

_The bakery sounds good, you can text me the address whenever. Is 9:30am too early?_

_No, that’s perfect. I’ll be there._

Bucky smiled, rolling onto his back, abandoning his pillow in favour of holding his phone with both hands.

_I’m really looking forward to seeing you again._

He confessed and instantly felt his heart leap back up into his throat. He was relieved in the next moment when she typed back, _me too. I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night, Bucky._

He blew out a slow breath and relaxed back into the comforter. G _ood night, Clara. See you then._

He dropped his phone to the bed beside him and draped his metal arm over his face, grateful for the coolness it brought to his overheated skin. His cheeks were still far too hot. He huffed quietly and laid there for a long moment, unawares that Steve and Tony had been peeking in the doorway for most of his conversation.

Getting away had been easy after that, Bucky hopping up and heading for the bathroom with a small smile, giving them a window of opportunity. They were going to poke their heads in when they saw how adorable he was being, lying on his front hugging a pillow while he practically had hearts in his eyes. Like a damned teenager and they were totally going to tease him.

Steve almost, _almost_ gave in, struggling with the urge not to tease his friend like he used to. Tony on the other hand, softened so much so, that he held Steve’s arm and tugged him back a bit.

He’d been so caught off guard, seeing Bucky look so sweet, so relaxed yet nervous. He didn’t want the man to feel more self conscious than he already did and if they were to go in there and tease him, he might just clam up.

As it was, they made it back to the living room and got snuggled up beside one another beneath the blankets. It was only a minute before Bucky was joining them, clearing his throat slightly when Steve tried to ask him offhandedly, “What was that about?”

He shrugged a bit, turning his attention back to the movie. “Nothing.”

Steve had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking and Tony merely rolled his eyes and poked the blond lightly in the side. “If you say so, Buck,” Steve managed, Tony attempting to hide his smile against the man’s shoulder.

Bucky hummed, a light blush colouring his cheeks, but he refused to look over at either of them as they cuddled up with one another. Because then they’d see how bright his eyes shone and the slight wobble to his lower lip. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this or if he’d _ever_ felt like this. Regardless, he planned to hold onto it for as long as he could.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small warning for this chapter. There is mild physical abuse that takes place between Rumlow and Clara. It's not overly descriptive, but it's important that you know this going forward because it will reappear later in terms of discussion and stuff. <3 Hope it doesn't throw you.

“Steve?” Bucky called softly.

The blond glanced up from his StarkPad to Bucky standing in the hallway looking all kinds of nervous. “Hey, what’s up?”

He shrugged lightly and leaned against the nearest wall. “I-well I was wondering-“ Bucky started, scratching at the back of his neck and Steve’s gaze softened, waiting patiently for his friend to continue.

Bucky huffed and shifted, dragging his gaze back up from the floor to look at his friend. “Could you come look at my clothes?”

Steve tipped his head curiously but nodded, getting to his feet. “Sure, Buck. What am I looking at them for?”

Bucky exhaled roughly through his nose and didn’t answer him right away, instead turning and heading back to his bedroom. Steve was not entirely ready for the sight that greeted him upon following. Because Bucky had pulled out at least a half dozen pairs of pants and even more shirts and had them all laid out neatly across his bed.

He worried at his lower lip nervously and Steve shot him a small smile. “Having trouble deciding what to wear?”

“Yeah,” He sighed and Steve had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from grinning.

“ _Ah_ , so you want me to help?”

Bucky nodded and Steve made a thoughtful noise, moving to look at a couple of the shirts. “I’m probably not the best person to ask about this sort of thing. No fashion sense, according to just about everyone,” He chuckled and Bucky gave him a small smile.

“You manage alright,” He conceded and Steve huffed.

“Maybe, well, here-“ He picked up a navy dark blue sweater, cashmere if he wasn’t mistaken. “I think this one always looks nice on you.”

Bucky glanced at the item before looking up at Steve. “The sleeves, t-they’re a bit long. I have to roll them up and it looks funny if I don’t roll them up to my elbows.”

“You don’t want to roll them up then?”

Bucky glanced away and Steve didn’t miss the anxious whirring of the metal arm. Making a decision, Steve took a step towards his friend. “You should wear this one. If you put your hair up, in that little half bun? I bet that’d let the blue bring out the colour of your eyes.”

Bucky’s gaze flickered up to him with a sort of timidness that made Steve want to wrap him up in _all_ of the blankets and bring him hot cocoa and cookies forever and always. He inwardly sighed and smiled at his friend warmly.

“Really?”

Steve nodded, smile growing. “ _Definitely_ and I think you should wear those-uh, you remember those jeans Nat got you?”

Bucky’s cheeks heated because yeah, he did. He glanced towards where they were laid out on the bed, nearly hidden beneath three other pairs of jeans. He nodded and Steve laughed lightly. “I think they would be uh, a good choice.”

Bucky made a quiet strangled sound and Steve tried not to snicker. “They’re too tight,” Bucky mumbled and Steve’s grin turned a bit lopsided.

“Think that’s what makes them a good choice and you know Nat would agree. I could get her for you-”

Bucky huffed, a dark blush having stolen across his cheeks. “ _No_ , I-I’ll wear them,” He conceded and Steve bit down on his bottom lip as Bucky went to go dig out the jeans from beneath the pile of clothes.

“What about shoes?” He asked gruffly, holding up the pair of dark wash blue jeans as if they would bite him.

Steve hummed and glanced towards the open closet. “You’ve got those dressy boots, don’t you?”

Bucky grumbled but nodded, setting the jeans down and going to get them. He held them up to Steve and the blond nodded. “Those look good, Buck.”

Bucky frowned, looking them over, distinctly aware that they had no buckles or metal detailing of any kind. He wanted to pout. “They wouldn’t last an hour in the field.”

Steve barked out a surprised laugh at that, making Bucky startle slightly. “No, no they wouldn’t,” He agreed, still laughing. “But you won’t be on a mission, Buck and I think they’ll do just fine.”

Bucky huffed, secretly happy to have made Steve laugh, even if he wasn’t entirely thrilled at the prospect of not being prepared enough, despite there being no mission.

He nodded and Steve’s gaze softened. “No reason to be nervous, I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”

Bucky shrugged lightly and set the boots down by his dresser, already moving to put away the rest of his clothes. “Maybe.”

Steve sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed to watch his friend. “Why do you say that?”

He shrugged, not meeting his gaze and Steve raised a brow at him to get him to continue. Bucky rolled his eyes at the look but at least he continued. “What if she doesn’t like me?” He worried and Steve smiled at him kindly.

“Oh, Bucky,” He sighed. “I don’t think she would have agreed to coffee let alone lunch with you if she didn’t at least like you a little and she opened up to you didn’t she?”

Bucky glanced away, folding a couple of his shirts and putting them back in their homes, because yes, she had. “What-what if she went home and researched me? I don’t know how much she knows about me but she does know who I am. What if she thinks-“

“If you finish that thought, I may have to smack you,” Steve warned, frowning at his friend.

Bucky huffed but didn’t voice his thoughts. “What if she thinks I’m being pushy then?”

“Pushy how?”

He shrugged and glanced down at his mismatched hands. “I’m asking her to move in here, next door, but still, _here._ ”

“Yes, but she will have an apartment of her own soon enough. You’re giving her a safe place to stay temporarily and it’s a chance to get to know her as well.”

Bucky reluctantly nodded, glancing towards the clock at his bedside. He had to get ready to leave soon, it was already 8am and he wanted to get there early.

“You’ll be fine, Buck. We’ll meet you both around noon at her apartment? We’ll pick up a late lunch to bring back here, sound good?”

Bucky nodded, worrying at his lower lip. “Yeah, okay.”

Steve smiled warmly at his friend and stood and closed the space between them, stopping just at arms length. “C-can I hug you, Buck?”

Bucky blinked, gaze softening. “Of course you can, Stevie. Don’t need to ask,” He murmured and Steve exhaled shakily when Bucky closed the rest of the distance for him, wrapping him up in a hug.

If they both squeezed each other perhaps tighter than necessary, neither commented on it.

.

To say that Clara was nervous would have been the understatement of the century. She was very much aware that she was shaking as she stepped off the elevator and headed quietly down the hallway. She went to her desk and unlocked the only drawer with her things and quickly emptied its contents into her bag. She barely left anything here save for a notebook, a pair of reading glasses and a fountain pen or two so it didn’t take long at all before she was done.

She set her bag and violin down on top of the desk and looked down the hallway to see that her boss’ door was ajar. She knew she was going to have to face the music, as it were. So, with a deep breath and a calming exhalation, she headed towards her boss’ open office.

He didn’t spare her a glance at first and for that she was at least grateful. He did have the presence of mind to notice that she was in the room, however.

“ _There_ you are, it’s about goddamn time you showed up,” He snapped, looking up from an open file on his desk to drag his gaze along her frame before going right back to his file.

“What are you all dressed up for?” He muttered. “It’s a fucking Monday, Clara, honestly.”

Clara blinked and took a deeper breath, trying not to let the comment bother her. She didn’t even bother to deign his question with an answer as she glanced over towards the clock hanging above the wet bar. It was 8:17am, 13 minutes earlier than she typically began her morning. She still didn’t say anything and merely turned back to face her boss. Soon to be _ex_ boss. _Thank God._

“Morning, Mr. Rumlow-“

“Don’t _morning me_. Hurry up and bring me my coffee,” He demanded, turning in his chair and proceeding to bang away at his keyboard.

She exhaled slowly and took those half dozen steps to stand in front of his desk, grateful when he didn’t look up just yet, now scowling at whatever he saw on his computer screen. She cleared her throat lightly and slid a piece of paper across his desk.

Of course he ignored the paper and snapped his gaze up to look at her. “ _Well_ , what are you standing around for?” He snapped, sharp gaze flickering over her.

His brows furrowed when he noticed something was different about her and he would probably have the presence of mind to recognize new clothes when he saw them. She only ever wore the same few outfits to the office and she’d heard enough nasty remarks about them to last a life time.

She knew she had to cut him off before he decided to give her a _talking to_ , though. “That is my letter of resignation, Mr. Rumlow. I know this is short notice but frankly, I don’t much care. I quit, so you’ll have to pour your own coffee from now on.”

She’d practiced those words until she was blue in the face and right this moment she was grateful to have done so, because this was _not_ something she could have done otherwise, nor without the knowledge that she would have someplace to go after this; even if she didn’t know exactly _where_ that was just yet.

She was trembling as she took a step back from his desk, ready to turn and walk out without another word, but between one breath and the next, he was up and out of his chair and rounding his desk in a hurry.

“What the fuck do you mean, _you quit?_ ” He snapped, snatching up the piece of paper and waving it at her.

She frowned and took another step away from him, watching him warily as she did so. “It means, I quit. I’m not sure what about that statement is confusing you.”

“Don’t you play smart with me-“ He warned and she shook her head.

“I’ve given you my letter-“

“This means _shit!_ ” He snapped angrily and she flinched, but of course that’s exactly what he wanted.

He threw the crumpled piece of paper to the floor and advanced on her, forcing her to take several halting steps backwards, thankfully towards the door, at least. “You and I both know you need this job, Clara,” He seethed and she shook her head adamantly, trying to keep her head up, not let him cow her.

“But I don’t anymore,” She denied, turning to try and slip out the door, but he growled and reached out, snatching her back sharply by the wrist.

She gasped at the sudden pull, his grip tightening and had no choice but to go with his pull, lest he break it.

Her heart was practically _pounding_ in her chest as he hissed, “ _Bullshit-_ “

“ _Let me go-_ “ She demanded, staring up at him in a mixture of fear and anger; but the fear always won out. “I got a job somewhere else, I’m not working for you any-“

“Like hell you aren’t. You’re _mine_ -“ He bit out, shaking her by her wrist, revelling in her flinch. “I’m not letting you go anywhere. You’re going to forget this quitting nonsense and get me my morning coffee and then I’m going to remind you of our arrangement-“

 _That_ helped lessen the fear, but of course it only served to feed her anger. “I’m not yours. I don’t _belong_ to you,” She spat. “And there is no _arrangement-_ “ She hissed trying to remove herself from his grip and failing. “You took advantage of me, my situation and used it to get what you wanted-“

She was unprepared for him to shove a hand in her hair and tug sharply, slamming her head back against the doorframe. She cried out in shocked pain, hands flying up to clutch at his wrist.“You should know your place by now“

“ _What in-_ “

Rumlow startled at the sound of his father’s voice and instantly let her go. She gasped out as blood rushed back to her scalp and she stumbled towards the door, barely sparing the older man a glance; _definitely_ not sparing Brock one.

“I was just leaving,” She breathed, voice wavering as she took another step towards the open doorway, relieved Mr. Rumlow wasn’t blocking it.

He let her go past, but not before Brock took a quick step forward and snapped a hand out to grip her bicep tightly. She was forced to look up at him when he squeezed far too hard and she did everything she could not to wince at the pain; not to give him the satisfaction. His father was eerily silent, _just as always_ , she thought bitterly.

Despite looking as if she were a cornered mouse, her anger was more than apparent in the intensity of her stare.

“Don’t you forget who you’re walking out on,” Brock muttered menacingly, voice low and rough, _seething_ with barely contained rage.

She shook her head and was unable to hide her wince when he squeezed her arm sharply then released her, practically shoving her away from him. She managed to catch herself before she stumbled too badly and shot a baleful look back at him and turned it on his father just the same, watching in satisfaction as Mr. Rumlow scowled and turned his attention back to his son, clearly furious.

She left without a backwards glance, snatching up her violin and book bag from her desk. She breathed out roughly and listened as Mr. Rumlow started shouting at his son as she all but ran towards the elevator.

She didn’t know how she made it outside but she found herself practically rushing down the concrete steps and doing her best to disappear amongst the sidewalk already crowded with early morning commuters.

But all of a sudden it was too much, her entire being was absolutely _shaking_ and she darted down a side street in at least the direction she was intending to go, even if it was the longer way around. She couldn’t focus on anything other than the sting at her scalp and the flare of pain in her wrist and arm.

She swallowed thickly and pushed herself faster, paranoia clawing up her throat when the errant thought of, _what if he follows me?_ Flitted into her head. She was frightened by the thought but before long she was in front of the bakery she’d told Bucky about.

She ducked in through the open door as a young mother and her daughter were leaving and the very moment she walked through those doors, the bell jingling above her as it closed, she relaxed. She inhaled the scent of cinnamon and vanilla, muffins and fresh croissants and instantly calmed, tension bleeding from her shoulders.

When she next exhaled she felt more grounded, relief rushing through her and she took a moment to look around. The shop was fairly busy with its morning rush, a lineup of half a dozen customers waiting for their morning coffees and treats. She took another breath and decided she’d visit the bathroom before lining up herself. It was still quite early so she expected to be waiting a while before Bucky joined her but she was grateful for the time alone to try and calm down.

She’d known it wasn’t going to be easy, she wasn’t stupid, but she hadn’t exactly been prepared for _that._ The outburst, she was ready for, the physical abuse…she’d say she wasn’t, but she didn’t exactly believe that. It wasn’t the first time he’d raised a hand to her.

“But it will be the last,” She whispered, biting her lower lip and slipping into the women’s washroom.

She set her things down beneath one of the sinks as she washed her hands. She was taking a deep breath in when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and flinched. Her breath caught in her chest at the sight of her and she frowned, reaching up to smooth down her hair, pretending that her hands weren’t shaking all the while.

He’d tugged rather hard on the dark strands and she felt like someone would just _know_ if they saw how ruffled it was. She fumbled with the strap of her bag and pulled it up onto the counter, looking for a brush. She took the time to brush out her hair, smoothing it back and pinning it up in a neat bun, finally managing on the third try with shaky fingers to get it right.

It wasn’t the style she’d wanted for today but it would have to do. She ignored the pain in her wrist and arm as she fixed her coat and shifted her bag back onto her shoulder. She continued to ignore the tremble in her hands and picked up her violin and heading back out into the shop. She was going to get a cup of her favourite coffee and a cookie and sit down and just _breathe_ for a moment or three.

She exhaled shakily and put on a smile as she stepped up to the counter to place her order. It was done and over with. She wouldn’t have to return to that awful job and she’d never have to see either of them again. Things were going to work out because she’d met someone kind, someone who cared, someone who would never-

She blew out a slow breath and looked down into her cup of coffee, gaze flickering up and out the shop’s window in front of her. The sidewalk was packed as per usual this time of day, filled with people trying to get to their morning jobs, get their kids off to school or daycare. She breathed out slowly and let herself people watch for a while, sipping at her coffee and nibbling her cookie.

It didn’t take long before she pulled out her notebook and flipped to the first page, humming quietly under her breath as she dug out a pen and settled in, a calm settling over her at the sight of the half filled page.

.

Bucky would like to say that the sight of Clara sitting alone, quiet and comfortable as she sipped at her morning coffee didn’t take his breath away. But he’d be lying terribly.

He’d wanted to get to the bakery a few minutes early to take a look around. He hadn’t actually been to this one before but Steve had said he recognized the name when he asked. Apparently they had some kind of breakfast muffin? Something filled with egg and sausage and bacon, even some green peppers and yeah, it sounded pretty delicious.

So, he’d wanted to get there a few minutes early to take a look around and see what kinds of things they offered for a late breakfast. But then he’d caught sight of Clara in the window sitting up on one of the high stools, draped over the skinny bar table and gazing out the window as if somewhere out there, there were all the answers to the universe.

He couldn’t bring himself to go inside just yet and was grateful when she didn’t appear to spot him, so he hung back for a minute…which quickly turned into 2 and 3 and so on and so forth. He watched her tapping her pen against her lips as she thought about whatever she wanted to put to paper, gaze trained on an open book in front of her.

From here he couldn’t see what it was exactly, but he secretly hoped she was writing music in the book he’d given her.

He shifted in place and glanced up and down the busy sidewalk. He knew he was probably in the way so he took a step back and exhaled deeply as he watched her lift her cup of coffee to her lips to take a sip.

He barely knew this woman and yet somehow she’d managed to draw him in. He was pretty sure it had been her eyes but then he realized he’d wanted to go after her to help the moment he’d heard how upset she was. He worried at his bottom lip as he watched her, feeling a bit creepy in doing so, but he was nervous, so sue him.

Just as he was about to move to finally cross the street, she stood up and slipped her jacket from her shoulders and now Bucky _really_ wasn’t going anywhere. A soft noise escaped him at the sight of her, because he’d only seen a little of her a couple of days ago as she hadn’t taken off her jacket. He was maybe relieved she hadn’t or he might have been caught gawking at her.

She was _very_ petite, thin in a way that made him think of Steve back before the serum, but it was the _outfit_ she wore that stole his attention. He recalled her wearing black dress pants the other day and she wore the same now, but they were higher waisted and pleated, elegant and not at all showy and they fit her _perfectly_.

He exhaled shakily, his gaze flickering along her frame. He couldn’t see her feet, but with the way she moved he was sure she had heels on and then his gaze flickered up to the shirt she wore. A simple cream turtleneck that looked incredibly soft and hugged her slight frame. She looked beautiful and sweet, classy and sophisticated with her hair pulled back into a neat bun, but it was the goddamn _suspenders_ that had him catching flies.

“ _Oh-_ “ He choked and had to clear his throat when warmth suffused his cheeks.

He shifted awkwardly on his feet and then coughed into his arm, hoping to hide at least some of his blush. Not that anyone was looking exactly; New Yorkers were great at minding their own business, usually.

He glanced back across the street and saw that she’d sat back down and was now looking out the window with her chin propped in the palm of her hand. He knew he would be late if he kept dawdling and he realized that she really didn’t deserve his gawking. He exhaled shakily and adjusted his coat, glancing down when the glint of metal caught his eye.

His first instinct was to reach into his pocket and pull on a glove, but…he didn’t really want to do that, not now, not with her. He exhaled shakily and decided he’d dawdled long enough.


	9. Chapter 9

Clara’s breathing hitched when she caught sight of Bucky at the door. He smiled at her tentatively through the window when he saw her looking and she smiled right back, her heart feeling as if it were fluttering beneath her ribs. She got to her feet as he pushed open the door, nervous and happy, _anxious_.

“H-hi,” She greeted, blushing lightly as his smile widened and he was momentarily distracted by her long delicate fingers tucking an escaping strand of her hair back behind her ear.

“Hey, i-it’s good to see you again,” He greeted and her heart rate sped up.

She belatedly wondered if he could hear it. “It’s good to see you too. I’m glad we could do breakfast instead.”

Bucky made a soft noise, the crows feet at his eyes standing out with his smile. “It’s no trouble, actually works out better for me anyway. I’m up early most mornings.”

She nodded and motioned towards the front counter. “Did you want to head up with me and we can get some breakfast? I’ve already had a coffee, but I’d love another.”

“That sounds great,” He agreed and she smiled and nodded, turning briefly towards the front counter before she seemed to think better of it.

She turned back to face him and worried at her lower lip and Bucky was momentarily confused by her hesitation. She seemed to work up the courage to ask after a moment, however, “W-would it be alright if I hugged you?”

Bucky…had no idea what to do nor say to that. It would be _so_ alright, it wasn’t even funny. But at the same time, _what?_ He still struggled with physical contact amongst his friends but that wasn’t what he was concerned about in the least right now, but she…why on Earth did she want to hug _him?_

All he could do was nod, that same tentative smile stretching his lips and the relief he saw in her bright eyes was so palpable at his acquiescence that he felt like he was being drawn into her orbit without his say so. She nodded happily and stepped in close, her smile still wide, even if there was a shy tilt to her lips, a rosy tint to her cheeks.

He could hear the jackrabbiting of her heart even over the sounds around them and he tried to focus on his breathing when she pressed in and gently wrapped her arms around his neck, stepping up on her tip-toes-even with her heels on-to do so.

He…should have thought about what it would be like to hug a woman again, because he was _entirely_ unprepared for the experience. She was so slight and so much shorter than himself and he couldn’t help it. He leaned down to allow her to better hug him and gently- _oh so gently-_ slipped his right arm around her waist to return it, subconsciously or consciously, keeping the left away. He nearly closed his eyes in absolute _bliss_ at the feeling of her so close. Her hair was pinned up but he could still smell the hint of coconut it held, could smell the scent of lavender in the body wash she used and he could smell the scent of the freshly laundered clothes she wore.

When he felt her pulling back, he let her, carefully withdrawing his arm from her waist and opening his eyes- _Christ_ , he hadn’t meant to close them.

“Thank you for being so sweet,” She said quietly, nearly startling him. “And thank you for introducing me to Tony, he’s been a great help and it’s thanks to you.”

Bucky shifted a tad uncomfortably. “Y-you’re welcome, but really, a-anyone would have tried to help, if they’d only had the chance to speak with you.”

Clara shook her head, just in awe at this man. “No, I’m convinced it’s only because it’s you.”

Bucky could only blush at that, ignoring the warmth in his cheeks and then she was ushering him up towards the counter to order their breakfasts together. They ended up with more than a couple breakfast muffins between them. They also ordered two lattes and a couple of blueberry and raspberry scones to share and after, they ventured back to where Clara had been sitting when he’d arrived.

It was comfortable to sit together and chat for a while about the shop, the food, the atmosphere. Bucky didn’t find it nearly as stifling as he thought it might be. Going to new places was always difficult for him but today was a good day so far and he was feeling good too. It helped that Clara was excellent company, all soft smiles and quiet laughter.

There was just something about her eyes that kept drawing him in, though. He exhaled shakily as he watched her turn to take a sip of her latte and let his eyes fall to the counter to the open book she had there.

“Were you writing this morning?” He asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

She hummed under her breath and he tried not to dwell on the sound as it drifted over him. “I was, actually. Just a few notes I had floating around in my mind,” She admitted, setting her mug down and flipping back a page in the book.

When she gestured towards it for Bucky to look at, he couldn’t resist leaning closer. He’d recognize sheet music, of course he would, but he knew absolutely _nothing_ about what all the symbols- _notes-_ meant or how they might sound on any number of instruments. But there were _some_ written words on the page.

It was only a couple of words near the top, but they were clear as anything. _The Beauty of Metal, Molten Alloy in Movement._ For a moment, he wasn’t sure what to make of it, an unusual title for a song, he imagined, but then he thought perhaps she was writing it about Tony-to _Iron Man_ , maybe but then he caught sight of several scattered words on the page, settled beneath small clusters of notes.

One read: _brave_ , another read: _strength_ and then, _integrity_ , _loyal to a fault_ …

They were all qualities he saw in Tony, but then he saw another set of words, and a scrawled set of initials: _loss_ , _suffering_ , _agony_ , **_rebirth_** , _memories_ , _acceptance_ , _found family_ but-

 _J.B.B._ was scrawled into the bottom corner of the sheet.

“W-what is this?” He asked timidly, lifting his gaze from the book.

She smiled at him warmly but there was a hesitance there behind her gaze. “It’s a composition,” She murmured quietly. “I’m writing for you.”

Bucky wasn’t sure he was breathing. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d _stopped_ breathing because his chest was growing impossibly tight.

He sucked in a desperate breath and hoped she didn’t see it as such. “What?” He whispered, voice hoarse, _small_.

Clara’s gaze softened and she bit down on her lower lip nervously. “I’m writing it for you in thanks for what you’ve done for me.”

“I haven’t done anything,” He told her in a rush, near breathless with denial.

She laughed and it was like a burst of sunshine, so bright and airy. Bucky wanted to wrap himself up in it. “You’ve changed everything for me for the better, Bucky. You’ve done so much for me and even if you had stopped at the book, the coffee and lunch-“ She shook her head. “I’d have still wanted to write a song for you,” She confessed, swallowing thickly as she added, “you’re sort of inspiring.”

Bucky was speechless, _beyond_ speechless and he knew this was going to be a problem, because when he didn’t know how to handle his feelings, he either shut down or burst into tears and _oh God_ they were in public and he couldn’t-

“Bucky-“ Clara called softly, his gaze narrowing more intensely on her at the calming sound of her voice. “Take a deep breath in,” She whispered and he absently realized he was registering warmth against the metal hand.

His gaze snapped down to see that she was tentatively cupping her hand atop his where it was resting on his thigh. But when he only breathed in short and sharp, she made a soft noise in the back of her throat and squeezed his hand in both of hers.

“Try again,” She breathed, taking a deep breath in and holding it for a moment before blowing it out just as slowly.

Bucky tried, he really did, but his chest was getting too tight and the room felt smaller and sounds were louder, sharper. “ _Hey-_ “ She whispered, squeezing his metal hand harder, instantly drawing his attention. “I’m right here and you’re alright, Bucky. Focus on me, on my breaths, come on,” She coaxed gently and Bucky exhaled shakily, vision blurring.

His next breath in was deeper if not still shaky, but he forced himself to zero in on her, listen to her steady slow breaths, the beating of her heart. The next breath came easier and so did the one after that.

His gaze flickered over her features, knowing that his eyes must look wild and panicked but she didn’t look disgusted or frustrated by him, not at all. She looked calm, collected and understanding, not pitying in the slightest.

He exhaled slowly and she smiled and reached for his other hand where it had been shaking against his leg. She squeezed that one too, drawing it closer to the other and squeezing both in her grasp now. He found himself squeezing tentatively back and watched the delighted little smile she gave him at the gesture.

“I-I’m sorry-“ He apologized, voice hoarse, throat clicking with how dry it had become.

“What ever for?” She huffed, giving his hands one more firm squeeze before letting go; she clearly wasn’t asking for an answer, however.

She picked up her latte and went to take a sip but paused and motioned to his own. “You should finish that before it gets cold.”

Bucky made a soft noise and automatically picked it up to take a shaky sip.

“I didn’t quite think it through, I guess,” She said quietly after a moment. “Not everyone likes to have things written about them, even in music-“

“That’s not it-“ He gasped, startling her.

She lowered her cup to the counter and looked up at Bucky carefully. “It’s not?”

He shook his head, throat tight and cheeks warming impossibly quick. “N-no, it’s-“ He breathed out roughly through his nose, trying to get the words out. “I just can’t believe you think I’m in-inspiring at all, writing something as beautiful a-as music doesn’t seem-I don’t des-“

“Don’t you _dare-_ “ She scolded and he swallowed hard, jaw nearly snapping shut at the warning. “This is my way of saying thank you,” She explained, voice gentling.

She shrugged lightly and glanced down to the open book beside her. “It’s not finished yet but…maybe when it’s done, you’ll let me play it for you?”

“ _Yes_ -“ He swallowed. “T-that would be…I’d really like that.”

She smiled at him shyly at that and closed the book and Bucky had a moment where his heart squeezed painfully in his chest when he saw that she was indeed writing in the book he’d bought for her.

“ _Good_ ,” She announced and Bucky blinked dumbly and watched her move to put her book back in her bag.

He was instantly tensing, however, when her sleeve rode up and he caught sight of the inflamed skin at her wrist. “Oh-“

She glanced up at him as she closed her bag. “What’s the matter-“

“Your wrist-“ He interrupted. “What happened?”

She paled and adjusted her sleeve as she righted herself. “ _Oh_ , it’s nothing, I just slipped and unfortunately the person closest to me grabbed my wrist to keep me from falling. T-they just grabbed me a bit too hard.”

Bucky made a curious sound and nodded, relaxing back into his seat. “It looks like it hurt,” He murmured, having seen the beginnings of the bruises purpling.

“It could have been worse,” She shrugged and shot him a gentle smile, pulling her arm into her lap.

He looked away from her hand at that and found her smiling kindly at him. “So…Tony said you had some information about where I will be staying for the next while?”

“Oh, uh, _yes_ , I do,” He agreed and she nodded, watching him intently.

He cleared his throat and shrugged a bit, glancing away. “Uh, so…there’s this empty apartment in, in our-well it’s at the-you know the Avenger’s compound?” He tried weakly.

Clara blinked slowly and nodded. He cleared his throat. “ _Right_ , well, there’s an apartment I only just found out about… _there_ and apparently it’s sort of mine? I d-don’t live there right now, I uh, share an apartment with Steve next door, actually.”

The silence between them was near deafening and Bucky tried not to grimace, bringing his gaze up from where he’d been staring at the countertop. She wasn’t looking at him in shock or worse-

She was looking at him in disbelief and something akin to awe.

“You…you want me to stay…in your apartment?”

At that, he did wince. “It’s not really mine yet? I mean, I don’t have any of my belongings there. Tony had the apartment furnished a while ago and I’ve-I’ve picked out a few things I thought the place could use, but uh, I’m still going to be living with Steve for a while and your new apartment will be ready in a few weeks, so it’s just tempor-“

“ _Bucky-_ “ She interrupted gently and his gaze instantly snapped up to hers. “I’d be very grateful to stay in your apartment,” She said quietly.

“ _Really?_ ” He blurted and her eyes shone with an unexpected brightness, because how could this teddybear of a man think that she might have said no to him?

“Yes, I’d be happy to.”

Bucky exhaled shakily and nodded, relieved and clearly surprised. “You’d be close to work, only an elevator ride and a few hallways away…if that helps?”

She chuckled softly and nodded. “That does sound pretty good, no more early morning fights over sidewalk space,” She admitted but then ducked her head and looked up at him through her lashes. “But you don’t have to sell me on the idea, Bucky. I trust you enough to live next door.”

 _You shouldn’t_ , was on the tip of his tongue but he bit it back, swallowed the nasty thought and smiled at her as best he could. “You’ll be under the Avengers’ roof.”

“Safest place to be, yeah?”

Bucky nodded, the tension bleeding from his shoulders. “Yeah.”

They were quiet for a moment and Bucky had to drag his eyes away from her small smile and bright eyes. She watched him look away and bit her lower lip as she regarded him, looking so soft and _warm_ , even if he did look a bit uncomfortable with the setting. When he was speaking to her, it was like he forgot where they were entirely and managed to simply focus on her.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” She asked before she’d even given the question much consideration.

Bucky nodded, glancing around them. It had been getting busier the last while and he was starting to twitch every time the bell above the door rang. He wondered if she noticed. “Yeah, t-that sounds nice. Do you have somewhere in mind?”

She hummed, slipping down off her stool and picking up her coat. “There’s this park not far from my apartment building. Lots of dog walkers like to go there and there’s a path around the field. Sometimes I go there to see if I can pet a few of the puppies,” She admitted, blushing lightly.

Bucky found himself smiling brighter. “That sounds great, I love dogs.”

They dissolved into easy conversation and quiet laughter after that as they ventured out of the bakery, Bucky telling her about the time he brought home a stray one summer and begged Steve to let him keep it. She was so enamoured by the story that not even half way to the park, she slipped up and told him a story of her own.

“My mother had this little spaniel-“

The words had barely left her lips before she was gasping so softly, Bucky wouldn’t have heard it if he hadn’t been standing so close to her. He glanced to her face but she was resolutely staring ahead as they walked along one of the paths that led to the park.

“What colour was he? _She?_ ” He distracted and Clara glanced to him, relief written across her features.

“She was white and brown, sweet pup, loved to cuddle. I remember when-when she brought her home. M-my father, he’d always said no to pets for whatever reason. But she really wanted one and decided she was going to get one,” She chuckled softly, shaking her head at the memory.

“We both thought he’d be cross with her but he surprised us both. He came home and saw us with the dog- _Isabella_ , we called her-he saw how happy we were playing with her…he pretended to be mad but we could tell he was giving in,” She huffed, smiling when she looked up at Bucky as they came out into the park. “We ended up getting Isabella a friend by the end of the week.”

Bucky laughed, smile genuine and open and Clara’s breath hitched in her chest at the sight, the sound. _How is this man so handsome?_ She wondered, blushing lightly at the errant thought.

Not so errant in that his light blush and pink nose didn’t prompt it. Nor the way the short strands of his hair kept escaping his bun and brushing against his jaw, the way he kept tucking them back, the soft curve of his ear making her want to lean in close and-

“What is it with men and squishy soft things?” Bucky laughed and Clara nearly snorted in amusement but covered her mouth and nose with a spluttered laugh instead.

“It’s like, _oh no, I can’t have a puppy, it’ll make me seem too soft,_ like that’s a _bad_ thing?” He scoffed and Clara only grinned up at him. “Steve was the exact same way. Didn’t want a pup, _said_ he didn’t want to take care of a dog but there were a few nights I got home late, found ‘im on the sofa cuddlin’ with the mutt.”

Clara huffed, still smiling as they walked together. “Loved him, didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Bucky sighed, fond. “Just about killed him when he passed. Hurt a hell of a lot more than we were prepared for.”

She nodded, smile softening. “It does, but you showed him love, gave him a home.”

Bucky hummed quietly, nodding and Clara exhaled shakily, lifting her gaze to flicker around the park. There were at least a dozen dogs out with their owners, running after toys, running after each other. It wasn’t exactly quiet but it wasn’t exactly loud either and with the wide open space, everyone had plenty of room to manoeuvre around one another.

“Which way do you want to go?” She asked gently, gaze drifting to the right and then back to their left.

Bucky glanced around the park, along the gravel path they’d follow. He could hear running water and knew there was a creek nearby and all the leaves were so bright off to their left, so…

“How about that way?” He suggested, tipping his chin off to their left. “The leaves look really pretty closer to the water.”

Clara beamed up at him, eyes lighting up sweetly and Bucky’s chest _ached_ with how much thatsimply made him _feel_. He exhaled shakily and she turned to motion him along, so of course he couldn’t help himself and blurted, “Can I interest you in a turn around the park, m’lady?”

He wanted to laugh at himself in the next moment but was entirely too flabbergasted with the fact that the urge to _flirt with her_ had just come out of nowhere and it had been so _easy_ to let it slip. _Damn it._

“ _Oh-_ “ She practically squeaked, clearly startled and looked to where Bucky had extended his right arm to her.

She laughed weakly and nodded, stepping up beside him and tentatively slipping her arm in his, hand curling around his bicep. “That is some serious charm, Mr. Barnes,” She chuckled and Bucky flushed and cleared his throat.

“S-sorry, I know it was cheesy, not entirely sure where that came from,” He admitted with a soft chuckle of his own.

He wondered for a moment if she was upset with him but when he turned to look at her, she was smiling timidly up at him, a light blush dusting the tops of her freckled cheeks, a sparkle in her eye that made him never want to look away.

“Don’t be sorry,” She murmured, eyes twinkling. “It was very chivalrous of you.”

Bucky flushed and smiled timidly, letting his gaze drop to the ground in front of them as they started walking. “Glad you think so,” He mumbled and bit her lower lip, tucking herself in closer to him.

She tried _very_ hard not to squeeze his bicep. Because even under his coat and sweater, she could feel how big his arm was. _Muscles for_ ** _days_**.

He glanced down when he saw her readjust her grasp on her violin case only a moment later, however. “Would you let me carry your violin for you?”

She glanced up at him in surprise and then down at the case in her grasp. It was feeling rather heavy today…probably had something to do with her sore wrist. “T-that would be very nice of you,” She said quietly and Bucky bumped her lightly.

“I promise to be careful with it,” He consoled and she exhaled shakily and held the case out to him.

“I know you will be,” She agreed and Bucky ducked his head a bit shyly, taking the case from her in his metal hand.

He didn’t miss the way her gaze flickered down to where his metal fingers closed around the case’s handle in a _very_ secure grasp.

 _Yep_ , she thought. _That’s not going anywhere_.

They walked in relative quiet for a few minutes, laughing here and there when they caught sight of a dog doing something silly. It was still early enough that there was a damp chill in the air and with fall already well under way, the breeze was perhaps a bit crisper than they would have liked.

Clara shivered lightly and Bucky couldn’t help but glance down to her, just as she tried to tuck the bottom half of her face beneath the collar of her coat. “It’s quite chilly out…” He murmured and she exhaled deeply and looked up at him.

He didn’t miss the way she squeezed his arm lightly, tucking herself in even closer to him. She was a comforting weight against him, the warmth of her body so close to his relaxing all on its own. “Y-yeah, it is. Um, maybe we could head back to my apartment?” She suggested, trying not to push in any closer than she already was.

He was just so _warm._

Bucky nodded, worrying his lower lip. “Of course, I can send Tony a message to let him know we’re on our way.”

“Sounds good,” She agreed quietly and reluctantly let him have his arm back so he could fish out his cellphone to send the message.

Before they knew it, they’d made it to the street her apartment complex was on and while they were busy talking quietly together, her arm safely looped back in his, they missed the curious stares in their direction as they approached the building’s steps.

So of course they promptly sprang apart when Tony cleared his throat from the topmost step.

“H-hey-“ Bucky greeted, quite obviously embarrassed at having been caught tucked in so close to her, his cheeks flushing with it.

Not that Clara was any better. Blushing furiously, she pretended to adjust the book bag on her shoulder. “Hi,” She greeted, trying not to smile too wide when Tony winked at her as Bucky turned to look at Steve…who was smirking terribly.

Bucky just about _glowered_ at Steve which only made the blond’s grin widen. “How was breakfast?” He asked, _the cheeky bastard._

“It-it was really nice,” He confessed, glancing over at Clara and trying not to curl his shoulders. “We even went for a walk in the park.”

Steve’s smile softened and he glanced over at Tony as the man came down the steps. “Sounds _romantic_ ~” Tony singsonged and Steve went to pinch him but of course he saw it coming and danced out of the way.

“Come on!” Tony shouted. “I don’t have all day, time is money and _my time_ is expensive as fuck, so let’s go!”

Steve rolled his eyes and muttered a soft apology but Clara just grinned stupidly at Tony as he ran back up the steps. Bucky huffed and followed while Clara dug her keys out of her coat pocket and went up to let them in. Tony slipped through the door before it was even fully open and Bucky pulled the door open wider and held it open for the rest of them.

“9th floor!” She called after Tony as he went to duck into the stairwell, so of course he spun on his heel and headed for the elevators instead.

She grinned and shook her head. “He is _nothing_ like I expected.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?” Steve asked gently, smiling when he saw Tony stick his foot out to hold the doors for them.

“Oh, it’s a good thing,” She laughed. “Just might also mean he’s a different kind of trouble.”

Bucky pretty well giggled under his breath and she looked over at him, immensely pleased that she’d made him make that sound.

“Oh he’s trouble alright,” Steve muttered, a smile tugging at his lips and making him look all kinds of roguish.

“Who, _me?_ ” Tony asked, grinning as they slipped into the elevator.

“Yes, _you_ ,” Steve teased, shooing him into the corner.

The elevator was a wee bit small, they soon discovered.

“Uh huh,” Tony beamed and Clara quickly pushed the button for her floor, the doors sliding shut in front of her.

She…really didn’t think this through. _Actually_ , she was pretty sure none of them had.

“ _Sorry-_ “ She laughed, having to take a step back from the doors as they closed and bumped right into Bucky.

“It’s okay,” He assured her, voice quiet and he pointedly ignored the sight of Tony waggling his eyebrows out the corner of his eye.

The ride up was entirely too long and Bucky was _hot_ , _so_ hot. It was warm in the elevator, _sure_. But he’d had to take a half step back to make sure Clara had enough room in the stupid metal box and now his back was pressed against one wall and her back was pressed against his front. He tried _very_ hard not to blush and knew he was failing miserably thanks to the heat he could feel building in his cheeks and the back of his neck.

He could feel Steve pressed to his side and Tony was pretty well leaning against the other wall grinning like an idiot with his arms crossed and taking up _all_ of the space, just to be an ass. So of course when Bucky looked over at him, he winked like the troublemaker he was.

Clara exhaling shakily in front of him had his attention quickly returning to her, however, and in the next moment the doors were opening and she was slipping out just as quickly as they’d gotten in. If Bucky noticed her hand trembling as she fit the key in the lock not a minute later, he didn’t say anything. Might have been because his flesh hand had been trembling too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you enjoying the story so far? <3 Please drop me a comment. Thanks for reading.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short update but I needed to build some intrigue here, haha. Hope you're enjoying the story thus far. <3

“ _So-_ “ Clara started, already grimacing. “This is uh, this is it.”

By _this_ she meant her belongings. Which consisted of 8 boxes, a small wooden bookshelf, a long sitting bench and an end table. Her cello was propped up in its case beside the bench and Bucky set her violin down beside it.

“Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Tony blurted and immediately regretted it when he saw her wince and shy away.

“I don’t own any of the furniture here, it was part of the condition of the lease, same with the appliances,” She explained and Tony’s gaze softened.

“Don’t worry about it, your new place will be fully furnished-“

“ _Mr. Stark-_ “

“ _Ah-_ “ He interrupted. “We talked about this.”

She grumbled something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like, _no,_ ** _you_** _talked about it_.

Bucky tried to hide a smile and Steve didn’t bother to do so as he went to take a look at the boxes. “We can bring these down,” The blond assured, glancing over at Bucky for help.

He nodded quickly and murmured a soft _of course_ and Clara relaxed, relieved. “Thank you. I really appreciate this. I-I just have one other thing in storage and I mean-it doesn’t work right now but there’s a piano in the storage room in the basement that belongs to me.”

“ _Oh-_ “ Tony said, clearly surprised. “You have your own piano?”

“Yeah,” She acknowledged, glancing towards the small bench and Tony realized it was most likely the one meant for her piano. “It’s quite damaged though, f-from the last move.”

“Oh, well we can bring-“

“If it’s possible,” She went on. “I’d like to have it gone. I don’t-I don’t need it any more. Haven’t even played it in over a year, I probably don’t know how anymore. Not that it’s in playable condition,” She laughed but it sounded forced.

“Are you sure?” Tony asked curiously and Bucky could tell he was concerned.

She nodded, smiling too brightly as she went towards a couple of the boxes. “Yes, I’m sure. _Oh_ , please be careful with these boxes. They’re filled with books so they might be-“ She paused as Steve stepped up and just… _picked_ one up. “Heavy…”

Bucky huffed softly in amusement and went to pick up one of the other boxes she’d gestured towards and couldn’t help but notice there was one more box labelled, _sheet music_. He picked that one up too.

“Wow, _okay_ , so you’ve got that handled then,” She blew out a breath and tried to will the blush from her cheeks.

When she looked up at Tony who’d come to join her, he was giving her this _look_ , arms crossed in front of his chest and fighting a smirk. “Since they’re being showoffs, how about you and I carry some of the lighter items?”

“Or better yet-“ Bucky started. “Why don’t you two relax and we’ll get this done quick and after you can show us the storage locker?”

“ _Ooh_ , I like this idea,” Tony announced and walked over to sit down, practically _sprawling_ himself over the sofa.

Bucky rolled his eyes while Steve flushed prettily and Clara sighed. “At least let me carry down _something_ ,” She tried, glancing over at Tony. “And then we can go get sandwiches.”

Tony narrowed his eyes at her. “I see how it is, trying to make me look bad,” He scoffed, getting up and buttoning his suit jacket.

“Oh _no_ , we can’t have that,” She teased and picked up one of the smaller boxes.

Tony just…

“Where did this come from!?” He cried, startling her, Bucky too; Steve, the fucker, saw it coming and was currently sporting a shit eating grin.

“Where did what come from?” She asked curiously, slightly panicked and a lot confused.

But when Tony merely gestured wildly in her direction, she was sort of at a loss.

Tony rolled his eyes long sufferingly. “The attitude!?”

Clara…maybe flushed right to the tips of her ears and now she looked _mortified_. “I-I wasn’t-I didn’t mean to-“

Tony guffawed, because _what?_ “ _What?_ ”

“Well you’re being so nice, so helpful and I feel bad for giving you attitude-“

Steve snickered while Tony just floundered. “Told you, she’s real sweet,” Steve offered.

Clara flushed impossibly darker and glanced to where Bucky was smiling at her and blushing lightly himself.

“Feel free to sass him whenever you see fit,” Steve suggested, winking at her.

She may have snorted lightly in her amusement.

.

When they all got downstairs-two elevator rides later this time-they dropped off the boxes and closed up the truck for the time being, heading off to grab a bite to eat from a sandwich shop just around the corner.

They weren’t gone very long, Tony insisting that they bring their lunch with them, so of course by the time they got back to her building, Steve and Bucky were finished their sandwiches and Tony and Clara were slowly working through theirs.

“Do you want to open up the storage room for us? We can get your piano loaded,” Steve suggested and didn’t miss the way the brightness in her eyes seemed to fade.

“Sure, I’ll walk you over,” She agreed quietly and the three headed back inside.

When she unlocked the storage room door and then didn’t move to go inside, Steve gently pushed open the door and was met with a small unit with…only a piano inside. At least, that’s what it looked like. It was wrapped up in a couple of sheets, keeping it hidden.

“This shouldn’t be too difficult to move,” He assured her and she nodded, shrugging lightly.

“There’s a side door just out this way, takes you into the alley. It’s probably the easiest route to get it outside,” She explained, gesturing down three or four steps to a secured door.

“Sounds good, we’ll get this loaded,” He agreed and she hummed, gaze flickering towards the open doorway, gaze lingering.

Tony cleared his throat lightly, drawing her attention. “I’ll make a phone call in a minute to make arrangements, why don’t you head up and I’ll join you in a minute?”

She hesitated for a split second and then nodded. “Okay, sure. I’ll leave the door unlocked in case we miss each other in the elevators.”

“Sure,” He agreed, watching as she glanced towards Bucky and gave him a soft smile.

“I’d say be careful lifting that-“ She started, gesturing towards the piano. “But I have a feeling it won’t be any trouble for you.”

Bucky smiled at her wryly. “I think we can manage,” He huffed and she tried to smother her smile as she flickered her gaze over his frame.

“I’m sure you can,” She sighed quietly, already turning and heading for the elevators and if Bucky maybe blushed at how _dreamy_ she’d sounded, he didn’t acknowledge it, not even when Steve snickered and jabbed him in the side.

“She’s pretty sweet on you, Buck,” He teased and Bucky huffed, shoving Steve into the storage room.

“Shut up and help me get this to the truck and Tony-“ Bucky called when the genius slipped into the room beside him grinning something awful. “We’re taking this back to the compound.”

“Already looking up contacts,” He admitted, phone in hand and thumb tapping away. “Do me a favour and get the sheet off? Want to send a picture to Pep.”

Steve reached the piano first and gently started tugging off the sheets. They could tell just by the shape that it was on its side and when they finally had the sheets off, their collective exhales were loud in the otherwise silence of the room.

“Wow,” Bucky blurted, blinking in confusion.

Steve whistled, shaking his head. “Don’t think I’ve seen a piano like this before, I mean, maybe in movies and stuff.”

Tony was eerily quiet, gaze focused on the, yes a _grand piano_ that had clearly seen better days. It still had its back legs in place, but the front two were missing, the wood having splintered off, it seemed. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

“It looks like someone took a sledgehammer to the thing,” Steve observed, noting the damaged and missing keys, the splintering of the wood.

He shook his head, because all the damage was focused on the middle of the keyboard and casing and it _did_ look like someone took a sledgehammer to it…or at the very least, fists.

“You think it can be fixed?” Bucky asked softly and Tony sighed.

“Yeah, but it’s not going to be cheap. I don’t think you realize just how expensive this baby is,” Tony told them, voice hushed.

He stepped over to the piano, lying on its side in such a miserable state. He couldn’t resist trailing his fingertips along a set of initials engraved in the corner. “This is a _Bösendorfer_ and her violin is a _Stradivarius_ and it certainly isn’t a copy.”

“For us clueless nonagenarians, Tony?” Steve sighed.

The genius blinked and looked up at the blond. “Her violin is worth over a million dollars, Steve and this piano…it’s upwards of a mil, even in this condition.”

“What?” Bucky whispered, voice faint.

Tony licked his lips and glanced towards the door nervously. “I don’t think she knows just how much these instruments are worth and I mean, yeah she carries her violin with her everywhere, but I think that’s just her being protective of it?”

Bucky nodded. “She is, when we first met, I offered to carry it for her and she declined. I hadn’t thought much of it but she had said she was quite attached to it.”

“I had Jarvis look into the violin, but all we’ve come up with is an old owner in Romania, deceased now actually and there’s no record of sale afterwards,” Tony admitted.

“She’s from Romania,” Bucky said gruffly.

“What?”

Bucky licked his lips and nodded. “When we spoke the other day, I recognized her accent, she’s from Romania.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “I wonder if she or her late father had any relation to the woman.”

“What woman?” Steve queried.

“The woman who last owned the violin,” Tony explained. “They don’t have the same last name but there might be something I’m missing.”

“I don’t like the idea of digging like this,” Bucky admitted, tone nervous. “Maybe we could just talk to her? Ask?” Bucky shrugged lightly and glanced down at the broken keys, the splintered front legs.

“Would be the more considerate thing to do,” Steve agreed and Tony huffed but nodded.

“Fair enough,” He sighed and Bucky hummed, moving towards the back end of the piano.

He was very confused about the instruments. Because if Clara knew what they were worth, surely she would have sold at least the piano if not her violin to take care of her father’s bills? Why put herself through so much trouble when she could have done something as simple as sell one item?

 _Unless they’re very special to her_ , a little voice whispered and Bucky swallowed. Because yeah, he knew the violin must be very special to her and the way she’d spoken about the piano…he got the feeling she was reluctant to let it go but somehow thought it was for the best.

“Find someone who can fix it up, Tony,” Bucky breathed, stepping around to put his hands on the piano. “I’ll gladly pay for it.”

Tony didn’t even bother to try and refute that, merely nodded and hummed his acknowledgement.

“Ready, Stevie?” Bucky asked quietly and the blond nodded, moving into position to lift.

It didn’t take long to have it loaded and wrapped back up in its sheets, the rest of her things brought down and loaded up as well. When she didn’t look back once as they left the building, dropping the keys off in the mail slot, they realized that she was plenty happy to go. Tony tried not to feel too smug about that.


	11. Chapter 11

Moving in was…well it was a lot. It’d been a whirlwind of a day and emotional to boot and now, left in the quiet of her temporary apartment, she took a moment to just _breathe_. “ _Wow-_ “ She whispered, voice breathy as she looked around the room.

The entire _living room_ was bigger than her last apartment. She scrubbed a hand over her face and looked towards the kitchen. It was entirely open concept in this area, each room bleeding into the next. There was a hallway off the living room that led to a guest bathroom, laundry room and linen closet on the left and on then another hallway opposite that led to two bedrooms, both with en-suite bathrooms, though one was a bit more opulent-the master suite-along with a guest bedroom and another furnished as an office or potentially a reading nook.

But the living room…there was a huge curved sofa with a matching ottoman that looked incredibly comfy, along with two oversized reading chairs and a love seat to complete the set. There was even a rather large television. She didn’t have one of those in her last apartment.

She sighed deeply and let her gaze trail over to the open kitchen and then adjacent to that, there was a series of several floor to ceiling windows with a set of reading chairs and a small sitting bench placed in front of them, allowing her a beautiful view of the grounds. She was 3 floors up, but with the- _Christ-_ vaulted ceilings, she felt as if she was on the 7th floor at least.

The whole building was absolutely stunning. Bucky had taken her around to some of the areas she was free to venture to like the gym and pool and a library as well. It was modern, sure but it was also inviting somehow. Warmer colours and accents spread throughout. Her apartment especially, what with all the extra throw pillows and blankets, quilts too that were just about draped over every bit of furniture. Everything just looked so inviting.

Tony promised to take her on a tour of the offices at the other end of the compound tomorrow after they met with Pepper and she was admittedly curious about what the offices looked like. What _her_ office would look like. Would she get an office all to herself?

She smiled, feeling overwhelmed and a bit shaky. She wanted to have a shower and change into something comfortable and just _be_ for a while, let things sink in. So, she did just that. She took a shower in honestly the _biggest_ bathroom she thought she’d ever seen. The shower alone was huge and could easily accommodate four or five people. _Crazy._

She wrapped herself up in a fluffy bathrobe she found hanging in the bathroom closet and when she went to her own closet she found it full of the items she and Tony had picked out. A soft noise escaped her as she trailed her fingertips along the array of fabrics, gaze flickering over the varying shades and down to the floor where there were several pairs of shoes all lined up.

She huffed and closed the doors, heading over to the mirrored dresser where she pulled open a couple of the drawers and went to the box she’d asked Steve to drop on her bed. She took some time to put away her clothes and change into a pair of leggings and an oversized sweater, one of her favourites with a picture of a llama on the front. It was soft and comfortable and she thought it was adorable, so-

Afterwards, she went back out into the living room and took a look at a couple of the boxes Bucky had set aside for her. They were filled with her books and sheet music and because she knew she wasn’t going to need the majority of it, she wasn’t really sure what to do with it. They were large boxes and Bucky had set them down in front of an empty bookcase that lined one of the walls in the living room…but she couldn’t bring herself to unpack them. She was only going to have to pack them up again in a few weeks and this was _Bucky_ ’ _s_ apartment, she didn’t want to just _move in._

 _Even if that’s what he_ ** _wants_** _you to do._ She rolled her eyes at herself and left the boxes where they were and headed into the kitchen. Of course it had been fully stocked for her. Cupboards, fridge, pantry, you name it, it was full. She was grateful, of course she was, she just thought it was a lot. She huffed quietly and poured herself a glass of water, eyeing the clementines sitting on the counter.

A weakness of hers as chances would have it.

She rolled her eyes and plucked two from the bowl, she’d be kidding herself if she thought she could resist.

She’d barely sat down on the-yep, super comfy-sofa with a deep sigh, bowl and clementines settled on her knees, ready to be peeled, when there was a knock at the front door. She paused, glancing over her shoulder to the door.

She knew they were automated, designed to open when she got close or upon conversing with Jarvis. That had been crazy, learning that Tony had created an A.I. that basically ran his building and probably his life. She huffed at the thought.

She set down her fruit on the coffee table and hopped up from the couch to answer the door. She wasn’t sure who she expected but having Bucky standing at her door was a surprise.

“Hey,” He greeted shyly. “I uh, I thought you might be hungry and I didn’t think you’d feel up to making yourself anything.”

He held up a bag with a couple of containers inside. “So I brought you sushi.”

She lit up at that, baffled and grateful all in one breath. “That was really sweet of you, Bucky, come in. I happen to love sushi,” She admitted, holding open the door for him to come inside.

She noticed his slight hesitation, however, and shot him a small smile. “Do you need to get back to your apartment?”

He cleared his throat slightly and shook his head. “Not really, Steve and Tony are…” He made a bit of a face. “Watching a movie and I think if I walk back in there right now I might be interrupting something.”

She laughed softly and nodded. “Well, stay for a while? That looks like plenty of sushi for two.”

Bucky nodded, blushing lightly. “S-sure, that sounds nice.”

She bit her lower lip and motioned towards the coffee table. “Why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll go grab some plates and napkins? Can I get you something to drink?”

“Oh, sure um, just water is good,” He agreed, heading into the living room.

She hummed and busied herself in the kitchen finding out where the glasses were before getting them both some water. She set their glasses on top of two small plates with a few napkins and then joined him in the living room.

She thought it was adorable when she found him sitting on the floor, back up against one of the armchair fronts while he unpacked the containers. The fearsome Winter Soldier sitting on the floor like the big softie he was in nothing but sweatpants and a long sleeved henley. She tried to be as surreptitious as possible in her looking, but well…he was a handsome man and his shyness, his sweet demeanour was definitely working a number on her. She flushed lightly when she looked down at herself and realized she had on her silly llama sweater and leggings. Not exactly attractive clothing.

She tried not to dwell on it, she was comfortable after all. She set their drinks and plates down before joining him on the floor kiddy-corner to where he sat. “Thank you for the sushi, Bucky.”

“It was no trouble,” He assured, voice gruff and gaze settled on the sushi in front of him, gaze flickering nervously to her and back again.

Clara could only smile and duck her head as she helped open some of the containers and picked up a set of chopsticks. They ate in relative quiet for a while, just soft hums of appreciation for the food here and there. When they were just about done eating, only a few pieces of maki left, Clara glanced up at him through her lashes only to find that he was already looking at her through his.

“I like your sweater,” He huffed and she laughed lightly, looking down at it.

“Thanks, I really like llamas. They’re so cute, alpacas too,” She confessed and he smiled crookedly at her.

“They are pretty cute,” He agreed and she smiled, shaking her head.

Her gaze caught on the clementines she’d picked earlier and she gestured to it. “Do you like clementines? I have a whole bunch of them and I think I saw some plums and apples in the kitchen too.”

“ _Oh-_ “ Bucky cleared his throat slightly. “I’d love a plum? And clementines are always a nice treat.”

Clara nodded, eagerly getting to her feet to go get a few plums and soon their fingers were messy with juice from the sweet plums and tart clementines, quiet laughter filling the space as they tried not to make too much of a mess.

There was a lull in their laughter as they ate their fruit and Clara couldn’t help breaking the quiet. “I wanted to say thank you again, Bucky-“

“You don’t have to,” He interrupted gently. “I know you’re grateful and I’m happy to have helped.”

Clara exhaled shakily and nodded, averting her gaze. “S-so, Steve and Tony, huh?” She chuckled and Bucky’s gaze met hers.

“Uh, yeah, idiots have been pining for each other for ages. Finally got their act together just the other night, actually,” Bucky explained and Clara made a curious noise.

“Oh?”

Bucky hummed, taking a sip of his water. “Yeah, the night they came to see you? Steve had finally asked Tony out to dinner.”

Clara flushed lightly and looked down at her sticky fingers. “That’s sweet,” She murmured and Bucky smiled quietly to himself.

“Yeah, ‘m happy for ‘em. Steve’s head over heels for Tony and I’m pretty sure the feeling’s mutual.”

Clara bit her lower lip and nodded. “As long as they’re happy.”

Bucky hummed and looked down at his plate. “I-I should let you relax,” He admitted, moving to stand. “You’re probably really tired after today.”

Clara smiled apologetically from the floor. “I am, but do you think it’s safe to go back to your apartment?”

Bucky laughed quietly as she stood to help him tidy up the mess of containers. “Probably? I mean, I’ll make sure Jarvis tells them I’m on my way, just in case,” He snickered. “But if they know what’s good for them, they’ll be decent.”

Clara huffed softly and nodded, turning back to face him as they stood in the kitchen. “I’m really glad you came by, this-this was really nice,” She told him, blushing lightly.

“Y-yeah, it was,” He agreed quietly.

When they’d tossed out the containers and taken care of the dishes, she walked him to the door with a tentative smile pulling at her lips. “You’re welcome to come for dinner any time, Bucky. I’d happily make something for you one night this week?”

Bucky started, surprised and more than a bit overwhelmed by the invitation. “Really?”

“Of course,” She said breezily. “Why don’t you come by Thursday night for dinner? I’ll makepasta, maybe some salad and garlic bread? Any special requests?”

Bucky exhaled shakily, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “Uh, n-no special requests, that all sounds really good, Clara. I’d love to.”

“Great, that’s great, Bucky,” She breathed and Bucky nodded, glancing down the empty hallway.

“I-I’ll see you later, Clara. Good luck tomorrow on your meeting with Tony and Pepper and don’t-don’t stress about it, about anything. They’ll look after you,” He told her gently and she nodded, biting her lower lip, because yeah, she didn’t doubt it.

“Thanks, Bucky…I’ll try. Have a good night,” She murmured and Bucky smiled, nodding a bit stiltedly.

Just before he turned away, he paused, gaze flickering back to her nervously. “Hey, Clara?” He whispered.

“Yeah?” She breathed shakily, watching as he turned back to look at her.

“Thank you for today,” He breathed and before she could say anything, he was leaning into her space slowly, making sure to telegraph his movements before he pressed his lips to her cheek.

Her breath caught in her lungs at the soft press of lips, the light scratch of his stubble against her jaw and she realized belatedly that she’d even closed her eyes at some point.

When he pulled back, he watched her lashes flutter open to reveal those grey-blue orbs looking up at him with the sweetest expression he was sure he’d ever had a woman turn on him. He knew he was blushing as he took a step back to give her some space.

“Night, Clara, I hope you sleep well,” He whispered gently and was relieved that he managed not to stumble over his words as he turned and headed towards his apartment.

She’d only just found her breath when he reached his doorway some twenty feet away. “ _Night-_ “

Bucky could only smile as he ducked his head, looking at her out the corner of his eye as he pushed open the door to his apartment. He really liked her blush

.

“ _Well_ , don’t you look lovely,” Tony sighed and Clara flushed prettily.

“O-oh, thank you, Mr. Stark.”

Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re not on the clock yet, _Miss Dealu_ , you can call me Tony.”

Clara absently tucked some of her dark hair back behind her ear. “Yes, well…is Miss Potts joining us?” She asked, settling into the seat across from Tony’s desk.

“She’ll be right in,” He admitted and she nodded, biting at her lower lip as her hands fiddled nervously with the hem of her blouse.

She tried to ignore the weight of his gaze on her as she sat in front of him and she knew she was blushing and could only hope it wasn’t too terribly noticeable. “ _Ah-_ “ He sighed. “There you are.”

“Good morning,” Pepper greeted warmly and Clara instantly got to her feet to greet the older woman.

“Good morning, Miss Potts-“

“Call me Pepper, _please._ You must be Clara,” The blonde greeted, smiling warmly as she extended her hand.

Clara flushed but nodded, grasping her hand in a firm handshake. She tried very hard not to flush even darker when the woman gave her an obvious once over. “It’s lovely to meet you, Pepper.”

“ _Likewise-_ “ She chuckled and motioned back to the seat she’d been in. “Why don’t you have a seat and we’ll go over the contract?”

Tony hummed and stood, greeting Pepper with a kiss on the cheek as Clara took up her seat once more.

“Has Tony gone over any of your duties with you yet?” She asked, opening up the file she’d brought along with her.

“N-not really, no,” She chuckled. “I’m aware I’ll be answering the phone, replying to emails and basic administrative tasks-“

“But he hasn’t given you any more than that,” Pepper huffed, obviously not all that surprised.

Tony just smiled at Pepper innocently when the woman looked at her and then shot a wink at Clara when she turned away.

“No matter,” Pepper continued. “I’ll bring you around and get you up to speed, give you a bit of insight-“

“ _Oh,_ no you won’t,” Tony scowled. “You’ll tell her all my secrets.”

Pepper rolled her eyes and Clara couldn’t help laughing lightly. “ _I’ll_ bring her around and give her the run down, _Miss Potts_ ,” He teased and the blonde could only roll her eyes and huff, producing a few papers for Clara.

“There is an NDA in here for you to review and sign along with the general contract,” Pepper started, glancing towards Tony as she handed Clara a pen and several pages. “I’m assuming you’ve spoken to her about the contract?”

Tony cleared his throat slightly and sat back down. “Sure, sure, I definitely did that.”

Pepper rolled her eyes so hard Clara thought it must have hurt. “Right, alright then,” She huffed. “Let’s start from the beginning. _Clara_ , you will be required to work four days a week between Monday and Friday and those days do vary based on Mr. Stark’s schedule. Unfortunately you will be notified each morning on whether you will be needed in the office and the times will also vary.”

“Meaning you could be in the office from 9am to noon or noon to 3pm. You’ll never catch me here after 5 o-clock,” Tony chimed in and Pepper hummed, nodding as she flipped through another couple of pages.

“Because of the nature of the _on call_ portion of your job, you will be compensated for the inconvenience. You will be paid a salary, the details of which are on page 7 of your contract. Effective immediately, you will receive an advance on your first pay, along with a signing bonus-“

“A _signing bonus?_ ” She interrupted quietly.

Pepper paused and shot Tony this _look_. “ _Useless_ ,” She muttered and Tony rolled his eyes, getting to his feet.

He rounded the front of his desk and took the papers Pepper had been holding, absently flipping through a few of the pages. Clara watched in confusion as Tony leaned back against his desk before raising his gaze to meet hers.

“Yes, a signing bonus and I don’t want to hear another word about it. You’ll look these over and sign them when you’re ready and-“

“I’m ready,” She interrupted smoothly. “I-I’m ready, Mr. Stark,” She told him, looking down to the few papers in her lap, pen at the ready.

“You can take the time to look over the paperwork, Clara,” Pepper assured her but Clara merely smiled and shook her head, missing the look Tony shot Pepper in annoyance.

“No, I-I’m alright to sign it. I’m comfortable signing it,” She agreed and Tony nodded, setting the rest of the contract down on the desk in front of her.

“If you’re sure,” Pepper said gently and Clara nodded, smiling a bit shakily as she glanced back up at Tony.

“I’m sure,” She consoled and Pepper nodded, casting Tony a worried sort of glance.

“Pep, could you give us a minute?” Tony asked gently and Pepper hummed, murmuring a soft, _excuse me_.

“I-is everything alright, Mr. Stark?”

“I’m not sure yet,” He hummed, folding his arms in front of him and watching her quietly.

“I don’t understand…”

Tony shook his head and dropped his arms. “Are you eager to sign it without looking it over because you think you owe it to me to do so? To not question what I’m offering you because this is your way of _paying me back?_ ”

The visible air quotes he put on that made her blink. “No.”

Tony raised a brow at her. “Don’t lie to me, Clara.”

“I’m not lying to you, Mr- _Tony._ I’m not lying to you about this.”

“Then why are you so eager to sign it without looking it over?”

She paused for a moment and looked down at the NDA in her lap and the rest of the contract sitting at his hip. “Because I trust you.”

She shrugged and glanced up at him, only to frown at the look he was giving her. “What?”

“You… _trust me_ …” He said slowly.

“Yes? Should I not trust you? Because from what I’ve seen of you in person, Mr. Stark, is someone who Steve Rogers and James Barnes trust implicitly and you’ve done nothing to make me want to distrust you.”

“Not even the breach of privacy? You know, with the paying your bills, kidnapping you and background check?”

Clara’s brows furrowed. “Background check?”

“Doesn’t matter-“ He waved of dismissively and Clara pursed her lips, fighting a reluctant smile, even if it did maybe bother her a little; not that it made her trust him any less.

“Okay, fine. But, just so we’re clear-“ He shifted, picking up the contract again and glancing down at it briefly. “You’re not signing this because you think you owe me anything, correct? Nor Bucky, for that matter?”

She frowned a little and shook her head. “I’m signing it, Tony, because I’m not stupid enough to let an opportunity like this pass. I’ve struggled for a long time on my own and I thought I could do things on my own, in my own way and m-maybe I could, _can-_ but I wasn’t going to make a change on my own. I was too scared.”

She shrugged lightly and Tony’s brain snagged on the word _scared_ but before he could ask, she’d carried on. “I didn’t think I was ever going to get out of the rut I was in and-and I am grateful to you and to Bucky for this opportunity, but I am signing that because I want to work for you, Mr. Stark. I am a hard worker, I know my way around a computer, perhaps not quite as well as you,” She said, tone teasing as she smiled up at him. “But I have a desire to learn and I know I can be a toler- _good_ -assistant for you. Just don’t make me handle your dry cleaning.”

Tony huffed a soft laugh and shook his head at the little tease. “Won’t be putting that on you, don’t worry. I told you, you won’t even have to get me coffee.” He gestured towards the sideboard where there was, sure enough, a _very_ fancy looking coffee machine. “In fact, I’d be happy to bring _you_ coffee.”

Clara blinked and then turned a kind smile on him, toying with the pencil in her grasp. She glanced down at the papers on her lap and let out a soft huff. She signed the paperwork and Tony didn’t even try to stop her when she reached out for the several sheafs beside him. He watched her sign those as well. Barely skimming the pages except to look for the signature lines marked with little _x_ ’s.

“I want to work for you, Mr. Stark,” She murmured after a few quiet moments, gathering the papers together and setting them back on his desk, pen placed gently atop them. “Because you are nothing like what I expected and I would be proud to work for you and the company you stand behind.”

Tony…didn’t really know what to say to that. It sure wasn’t what he expected of her and truth be told, he was maybe still reeling with the fact that she _trusted him_. Not a lot of people put their trust in him these days. Well, that was a lie, but he didn’t like to think about it. Responsibilities, _bleh_.

He huffed softly and shook his head before calling out to Jarvis to call Pepper back in.

“Everything all right?” She asked, stepping into the office again.

“Everything’s just fine, Pep. _Here_ , the contract and NDA have been signed and I think I’d like to show Clara around now.”

“Do you think I could borrow her for a few minutes? I wanted to at least get her signed in on her computer and take care of a few of the administrative details and besides-“ Pepper laughed, turning back to Clara. “I _really_ would love to know where you got your shoes.”

The laugh that bubbled out of Clara and the sweet flush that overtook her cheeks were enough to have Tony grinning and attempting to cover it with his hand. “Go on then, let me know when I can kidnap her.”

Clara laughed and Pepper rolled her eyes, already motioning her towards the door. “Let me show you to your office.”

.

The next couple of hours were entertaining to say the least, even if they were entirely too overwhelming. Pepper and she had ended up spending nearly an hour together chatting in her new _office_. Clara had been thrilled, it had a door and a computer, a small sidebar with a fridge full of water and juice, fresh fruit too. There was even a chair for company to sit and join her if they so wished.

It was all just so surreal.

Tony had come to retrieve her after a time and Pepper had gone off to work with an apologetic smile. Clara wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for, Tony wasn’t _that_ painful to share company with.

The thought made her pause. She wondered how long until she’d be rethinking that statement. She smothered a smile at the thought.

Tony was a bit of a chaotic person. _Scratch that._ He was _definitely_ a chaotic person. Bucky had given her a tour yesterday but she’d been a bit dazed and hadn’t really taken everything in. But Tony tour was a bit, well…different. It was informative, sure, even if she felt like everyone was staring at her whenever they entered into just about any space where there were people. It was a little disconcerting so it was a relief when they ventured over towards the Avenger’s side of the compound rather than the SI floors.

“So I-I have clearance to be here? I know Bucky mentioned I could come here,” She asked uncertainly.

“Of course, you’re welcome in the communal spaces. He showed you the library and the pool?”

“Y-yes, well, sort of. He just showed me how to get to them. I think he could tell I was getting tired.”

Tony chuckled softly and nodded. “Of course, yesterday was a busy day.”

Eventually he’d given her a quick tour of the gym and pool and the communal living room where she’d been welcomed to join them on their next movie night. She was a bit flustered over the idea but didn’t let herself think about that too much. You know, about the idea of sitting with Bucky on the sofa, curled up under blankets with the lights down low, surrounded by his friends while they watched a movie together.

 _Later_ , she’d think about it later.

“And this, is the library.”

“ _Wow-_ “ She blurted and Tony spared her a glance.

“Like to read?”

Clara laughed, feeling breathless with it. “ _Yes_ , um, wow,” She breathed. “What the hell was Bucky doing in a bookshop when he has access to _this?_ ”

Tony chuckled softly and folded his arms. “My sci-fi section is lacking, or so I’ve been told.”

Clara laughed lightly and shook her head, letting her gaze flicker around the space. It was two levels and there must have been _thousands_ of books. There were comfortable chairs all over the place, low tables and even a couple of desks with office chairs lined up.

“I’ll be honest, most of the books here aren’t mine, well, they are, but I didn’t buy them,” He shrugged lightly and walked towards one of the shelves, trailing his fingers along some of the spines. “My mother collected books over the years, I suppose I did too. A lot of them focus on the sciences, it probably makes up more than half the library. But, there’s lots of fiction and non-fiction here too. I’m pretty sure there’s just about all of the classics you can think of and so much poetry it makes me want to gag.”

Clara barked out a surprised laugh and the noises sounded far too loud in the quiet space. She apologized quietly and Tony shrugged. “Never really was a fan of poetry but my mother loved it.”

Clara’s gaze softened. “I get it,” She said quietly and Tony hummed, glancing over at her.

He wanted to ask her about her father, her mother, really he did and he was going to, really. Unfortunately she managed to distract him.

“I wanted to ask,” She began and Tony wanted to pout at her for beating him to it. “I-if I wanted to play m-my violin,” She said slowly, lightly rubbing at her arm. “Would it be bothersome to anyone for me to play in the apartment?”

“Of course not,” He dismissed instantly and she relaxed.

“I guess the place has some pretty good soundproofing,” She chuckled and Tony was going to open his mouth and say, _it’s not bad, but honestly if anyone was bothered by you playing music, I’d kick ‘em to the curb._

Instead, what he said was, “Oh sure, yeah. Spared no expense.”

 _Why_ he’d said that, he didn’t immediately know, except he sort of did and he would surely feel guilty about it later. Maybe. Probably. Or not. Because if he even got one more chance to listen to her play again, it-well, it wouldn’t exactly be _enough_ , but he wouldn’t pass up the chance.

“I have to say,” She murmured after a short while. “I thought the place would be a bit busier than this.”

“Oh, I guess it is pretty quiet,” He rubbed at the back of his neck lightly. “Nat and Clint are still away on a mission, Bruce is busy with Loki and Thor on Asgard and Peter-Peter’s around someplace, I think-“

“He is currently in the workshop, Sir,” Jarvis offered and Tony hummed, because of course he was.

“ _Right,_ and I’m pretty sure Steve was trying to convince Bucky to go to the movies,” He said, thoughtful. He wondered if he’d managed it.

“Bucky doesn’t like to go out much, I take it?” She asked quietly.

Tony nodded, humming under his breath. “He’ll go out with us if he’s feeling up to it, he goes out very rarely on his own but it’s gotten better. He’s gotten more confident.”

He glanced back at her to find her smiling softly as she looked thoughtfully at her hands, folded lightly in front of her. Tony tried not to huff in amusement. They both startled, however, when a ringing filled the space.

“Oh, _sorry-_ “ She apologized, reaching into her blazer to pull out her cellphone. She frowned at the tiny screen. “Why would my bank be calling me?”

Tony’s eyes widened and he snatched it from her hand, her wide-eyed disbelief adorable for all of a second as he floundered. “I’m sure it’s absolutely nothing and besides, this-this _monstrosity_ needs to go. Come on, we’re going to the workshop, I’ll get you a new one.”

“ _Tony_ , I should answer that-“

“No, you shouldn’t,” He blurted and her eyes widened in response.

“Why shouldn’t I? It’s _my_ phone.”

Tony cleared his throat slightly and shrugged. “You just shouldn’t, that’s all.”

Her eyes narrowed and she put out her hand in a bid to take it back. Tony hesitated, the phone in his grasp still ringing. If he could just wait it out…

“ _Tony-_ “

“Yeah, okay-“ He dropped the phone in her hand, grimacing.

She quickly flipped it open and Tony died a little. Because a flip-phone, _seriously?_ But then he was distracted as she answered the call.

“H-hello?” She paused and nodded, turning a bit away from Tony as she listened to the person on the other end.

“Yes, this is she,” She said slowly, going quiet once again.

Tony couldn’t hear much of the conversation, just the soft murmur of a man’s voice on the other end but as soon as Clara’s eyes turned to fix on him with a sharpness that startled him, he felt himself flushing.

“No, there hasn’t been a mistake. I’ve recently acquired a new job-“ She paused and then huffed. “Yes, thank you but like I said, I’ve recently acquired a new job and was told there would be a signing bonus-“ She paused, frowning slightly. “How… _sizeable_ are we talking here? I wasn’t exactly given a number…”

Tony didn’t move, didn’t breathe really either.

“Excuse me?” She whispered, her face paling.

Tony thought she was going to faint. He wasn’t equipped to deal with a fainting woman. _Seriously_. It wouldn’t end well.

“I-I’m going to have to call you back,” She managed, voice strangled and Tony could hear the man on the other end still talking, calling her name but then the phone was being pocketed and she was staring at him.

“E-everything alright?” He asked carefully.

“ _Peachy_ ,” She managed, voice still strangled and Tony tried to hide his grimace.

“Guess you should have read the contract, right?” He tried for levity and she groaned, rubbing a hand over her face.

“I should have known,” She bemoaned and Tony huffed.

“You’ll get used to it,” He shrugged, draping an arm lightly over her shoulders and drawing her into his side.

She didn’t flinch exactly, but she did tense up and Tony tried not to dwell on it as he carefully pulled back. “Come on, I’ve got a spare phone, _several_ , actually, down in the workshop. We’ll get you sorted because I honestly cannot bare to watch you answer a damn flip-phone again.”

She laughed weakly and scrubbed a hand over her face and before long she was following him to the workshop. “Should have read the contract,” She sighed, wondering if it was too late to at least look it over. Pepper had said she’d email her a digital copy later.

Just an F.Y.I? She never ends up reading the contract, because of course Tony has Jarvis intercept it. Can’t have her spoiling his plan, now can he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how are you enjoy it? ^_^


	12. Chapter 12

Meeting Peter had gone well, at least, Tony thought it had. They’d chatted and seemed to get along well and the kid- _not_ a kid anymore, Tony-was kind enough to help Clara learn how to use her new phone. Maybe it’d gone _too_ well, because no sooner had he sent Clara off with the explicit instruction to take the afternoon to enjoy herself, did Peter sigh longingly and turn to Tony with a dreamy look on his young face.

“She’s _gorgeous_ , Tony. She’s your new assistant?”

Tony raised a brow but nodded, sort of curious to see where he was going with this. “She is,” He said slowly and Peter hummed, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back comfortably in his chair.

“Man, think she’d go for someone a bit younger? I mean, I’m not _that_ much younger than her, surely,” He sighed and Tony’s brows ticked higher; not that Peter noticed. “I think I’ll stop by tomorrow. You said it’s her first day?” Tony barely had a chance to nod before Peter had carried on. “That’s good, maybe I’ll bring her a coffee, _ooh_ or a sweet. Ask her out on a date-“

“I _really_ don’t think you want to do that, Pete,” Tony said gently and Peter blinked, confused.

“Why wouldn’t I? She’s _so_ pretty, Tony, like _wow_ and I swear she wasn’t even wearing any makeup and her _legs-_ “

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Tony laughed, but his voice was laced with warning. “She’s not yours to ask out.”

Peter blinked, the confusion very much apparent. “Is she married? I didn’t see a ring.”

Tony shook his head. “No, she’s not married,” He huffed. “But Bucky met her first.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “ _Seriously?_ ” He blurted and Tony had to roll his eyes.

“Yes, _seriously._ Do you want the Winter Soldier on your ass?”

“ _No-_ “ And it was so vehement that Tony had to snicker.

The pout Peter gave him was sort of adorable and it was shit like that that always made him want to call him _kid_.

“How’d he meet her? Did you introduce them?” He gasped in outrage and Tony rolled his eyes.

“No, I didn’t introduce them,” He huffed. “Bucky ran into her at a bookstore. They even went on a date.”

And _why_ did Tony sound so proud of him? He cleared his throat slightly and shook his head but Peter was looking at him in betrayal. “That’s terrible…for me,” Peter blurted, pouting and Tony rolled his eyes.

“Sorry about your luck, kid.”

Peter sighed, pout smoothing out as he looked towards the door forlornly. “Yeah, guess so. Well, Bucky’s lucky. She was really sweet.”

“She is,” He agreed quietly. “She’s actually staying here, the apartment between mine and Steve’s.”

Peter blinked. “What?”

“It’s a long story-“

“I’ve got time.”

Tony huffed but rolled his shoulders. Sure, why not? Maybe Peter knowing could come in handy at some point. “Sure, why not,” He voiced and Peter grinned and made himself more comfortable.

Tony tried not to feel guilty about divulging everything, but he knew Peter wouldn’t use any of it for nefarious purposes. He hoped not, anyway.

.

Clara frowned down at her shiny new cellphone. Not unhappy with the phone, of course she wasn’t. It _was_ much nicer than her silly flip-phone. She shifted sideways on the sofa and frowned even harder as her gaze flickered up to the laptop she had open on the cushion there.

The _new_ laptop Tony had given her as part of her new job. She knew it was bullshit, had told him as much too. Not that he cared to listen. She’d reluctantly taken it with her and had fallen in love with it almost instantly. The only time she ever got to use the internet was when she visited the library and she’d rarely had time for that as of late.

She exhaled shakily and let her gaze flicker over the screen, taking in the sight of her bank accounts. Her extremely _padded_ bank accounts. She exhaled shakily and worried at her bottom lip. She was sitting on a good chunk in her checking and a _much_ larger amount in her savings. She’d felt guilty accepting so much and had tried to argue with him again, but apparently it was in her contract that she couldn’t argue with him about money.

She _really_ wished she’d taken the time to read it.

She sighed and glanced back down at her cellphone again and swiped to unlock it. It took her another minute to work up the courage to put in the number for the restaurant. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do this right now, nor just yet. What if she hated her job with Tony and needed to go back to serving…to Brock?

She shuddered and shook her head. “No-” She whispered, knowing it was equally as ridiculous to think she wouldn’t like working for Tony. He was a lovely man and despite not knowing him for very long, something was telling her to trust him and she did.

She breathed out shakily and hit the call button.

“Hi Chelsea, may I please speak to Harold?” She asked quietly. “It’s Clara.” She paused as the hostess agreed to get him for her and the moment she was put on hold, she made a soft nervous sound.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“H-hi, Harold, it’s Clara.”

“ _Hey_ , _how are you? You ran out of here so fast the other night and I didn’t hear from you_.”

“Sorry,” She apologized quietly. “I know it must have been a bit strange.”

“ _Strange? You left with Iron Man and Captain America. Strange doesn’t even begin to cover it. You’ve been the talk of the restaurant since then._ ”

She laughed softly, her cheeks flushing. “It really isn’t like that, I swear.”

“ _Oh, I know that, Clara. Said as much to the staff too. Don’t worry._ ”

She huffed a soft breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I suppose you want to know what happened?”

“ _That would settle my curiosity, yes. But you don’t owe me an explanation. I just want to make sure you’re alright._ ”

“I’m okay,” She assured him, voice going quiet. “I just-there was something I wanted to tell you.”

“ _Oh?_ ”

Clara worried at her lower lip for a long moment, unsure of where to start. She shrugged and decided to be honest. “They came to the restaurant because they wanted to check up on me. I r-ran into one of their friends. Uh, James Barnes?”

“ _You ran into the_ ** _Winter Soldier?_** ”

“Not like, liter-“ She cleared her throat and shook her head at herself. Because yes, yes she had run into him and quite literally. She laughed. “ _Yes,_ yes I ran into the Winter Soldier, well, James Barnes.”

“ _H-how-what-what’s he like?_ ” He finally settled on and Clara smiled to herself.

“Very sweet,” She confessed. “But that’s why they were at the restaurant. He-Bu- _James_ -spoke about me to them and they just…wanted to see who I was, I guess. They were concerned for their friend.”

Harold huffed a soft noise for her to continue and Clara bit her lower lip. “So um, yeah…I just…wanted to tell you that Mr. Stark has given me a job a-and I’m in the process of getting a new apartment-“

“ _That’s great, Clara!_ ” He said, genuinely happy and she softened, smiling warmly.

“T-thank you, I’m-I’m really excited about it,” She confessed and Harold laughed.

“ _I don’t doubt it. That’s great, so, you’ve quit that awful job at Rumlow Inc.?_ ”

Clara exhaled roughly and nodded. “Yeah, yesterday morning, actually.”

“ _I’m so glad to hear it, Clara. Honestly, you were never happy there._ ”

Clara looked down at her hand as she nervously tugged at the hem of her t-shirt. She was quiet for a moment and when she exhaled shakily, she heard Harold’s quiet breath. “ _That’s why you’re calling, isn’t it? You’re giving your notice._ ”

Clara made a soft noise. “I don’t have to quit,” She rushed. “M-my job with Mr. Stark, I’ll only be required to work Monday to Friday and I’d finish long before the dinner hour-“

“ _Clara-_ “ He whispered and she paused her rambling. “ _Do you need this job? Do you really need to be here? Don’t get me wrong, I love having you as a server here. You’re wonderful with guests and the staff love working with you._ ”

Clara exhaled shakily. “I can-I can afford to give it up,” She admitted quietly. “Mr. Stark has been very generous.”

“ _Oh, Clara. That’s wonderful. As long as you’re happy and safe-_ “

“I am,” She breathed. “I-I’m getting there, anyway and I am _so_ safe,” She laughed. “I’m currently staying at the Avenger’s Compound.”

“ _Seriously?_ ”

She laughed and nodded, holding the phone closer to her ear. “Yeah, safest place I could possibly be.”

“ _I’ll say, wow_ -“ He sighed. “ _Okay, so…I guess I shouldn’t expect you in this weekend?_ ”

“No, no, I’ll come in for my shifts. I don’t want to leave you short-staffed and I’m not really doing anything anyway.”

“ _Nonsense-_ “ He huffed. “ _You’ll be busy all week at your new job, you don’t want to come here after that. We’ll be just fine._ ”

Clara exhaled slowly and smiled, somewhat relieved. “This week has been a bit overwhelming…”

“ _Of course it has, Clara. Please don’t worry about us here, okay? Of course we’re going to miss you, but we’ll be alright._ ”

Clara sighed, relieved. “Thank you, Harold. Really, you’ve been so understanding and you’ve been so accommodating over the last year-“

“ _Clara-_ “ He interrupted and she flushed lightly. “ _I’ve done nothing someone else in my position wouldn’t do._ ”

“I’m not sure I believe that,” She murmured. “But thank you all the same.”

Harold huffed softly and then let out a sigh. “ _Actually, I am glad you called. I-well there was something I wanted to ask you and I would have asked you on Friday, but…_ ”

She frowned, curious but also worried at the hesitance in his tone. “Harold?”

He exhaled noisily and her brows furrowed, more than curious now. “ _So, you have to promise to hear me out, alright?_ ”

Clara raised a brow but carefully murmured, “Okay.”

“ _Okay, okay good. So…_ ” He paused and she arched a brow curiously. “ _When you played last weekend-_ “

Clara’s cheeks flushed so quickly and she glanced away, embarrassed and entirely too distracted by the thought of all those people having seen her play. She missed half of what Harold was saying because of it and she tuned back in as he asked, “ _Would that be something you might be open to?_ ”

She blinked. “What? I-I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.”

Harold chuckled softly over the line. “ _I said, that you played so beautifully that several guests asked if you would be coming back to play again. Even your coworkers wanted you to play again and Carol and I, well, we were talking and we thought we’d ask you if you would be interested in turning a shift or two of yours into one where you played for our guests, instead of serving. But with you quitting, m-maybe we could ask you to play one night a week? You’d be paid, of course. Does that sound like something you might be open to?_ ”

Clara’s brain had just…shut down. “What?” She asked weakly and she knew Harold was smiling on the other end when he replied.

“ _Are you really going to make me repeat myself?_ ”

Clara breathed out roughly and scrubbed a hand down her face. “No, I-I won’t make you repeat yourself. I’m just- _digesting-_ I guess.”

“ _I’m sorry if I upset you-_ “

“You didn’t, I just-it’s a lot, hearing that you want me to play f-for people.”

Harold hummed quietly. “ _You really did play beautifully, Clara. I knew you would, but I hadn’t quite expected that. I don’t think anyone had, least of all Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers._ ”

She laughed weakly at that and nodded. “M-maybe, yeah, I just haven’t played for a-anyone before. Not in a very long time,” She confessed quietly.

There was a heavy pause for a moment after that and Clara didn’t know what to make of it, until Harold was exhaling quietly. “ _You know he would be proud of you._ ”

“ _Harold-_ “ She breathed, startled. It felt like a punch to the chest.

“ _He would be, you know he would be and I’m not just saying that so you’ll come play._ ”

She laughed and tried to ignore how watery it sounded. “You sure?”

“ _Yes, I’m sure,_ ” He chuckled and her heart warmed. “ _I think it would be good for the restaurant, sure. But I saw you play, Clara. You looked so peaceful, in your element,_ ” He sighed. “ _It was really beautiful_.”

“Thank you,” She whispered, voice so small but no less heartfelt.

“ _You’re welcome, Clara_ ,” He murmured. “ _I don’t need an answer from you right now. Take a few days to think about it. Maybe next week we can meet for coffee or something. I know Carol wanted to talk to you about this._ ”

Clara worried at her lower lip and nodded, despite knowing he couldn’t see her. “O-okay,” She agreed. “I’d like that. I have your cell number. Is it okay if I message you there?”

“ _Of course it is. You know you can call or text any time_.”

“Thank you,” She whispered again and she knew he was smiling, probably shaking his head at her too.

“ _You’re welcome, Clara. I’ll let you go but don’t hesitate to call, even stop by for dinner some time, okay?_ ”

“Okay,” She agreed, smiling gently. “Take care, Harold. I’ll call you soon.”

“ _You take care of yourself too, Clara. Good night._ ”

“Night,” She found herself whispering, shoulders slumping as the line went dead.

She dropped her hand to her lap and stared down at the still lit screen. She breathed out shakily and locked it before setting it aside. “Okay,” She whispered, looking back at her computer and open accounts. “H-hey, Jarvis?”

“Yes, Miss Dealu? How may I be of assistance?”

She worried at her lower lip for a moment. “I w-was wondering if you might point me in the right direction of someone who could help me with investing some of my m-money?”

“I can most certainly assist you with that, Miss Dealu-“

“ _Please_ , call me Clara, Jarvis.”

“Of course, Clara,” He intoned and she smiled, dragging a blanket over her and making herself comfortable. “Would you like me to set up a meeting with a financial advisor for you? Sir has several, though, Miss Potts seems to be the more money savvy when it comes to the company’s finances.”

She chuckled softly because that honestly didn’t surprise her. “You know what? Maybe I’ll speak to Pepper first. Why don’t you wait on the advisor, but…I wouldn’t mind reading something to maybe prepare me for the conversation?”

“Of course, Clara. I will send you some notes to prepare you.”

“Thank you, Jarvis. You’ve been very helpful.”

“You are most welcome, Clara. You’ve been most pleasant.”

She laughed lightly and blushed. Because how was this her life? Blushing thanks to a sweet A.I that Tony _fucking_ Stark created. She shouldn’t have been surprised that Jarvis was sweet…and sassy, though that side of the A.I seemed to be reserved especially for Tony.

.

Despite being a bit flustered from all the um…rather confusing attention, Clara thought her first day was going smoothly. Tony had met her at the apartment after an informal text telling her that he’d be by to walk her to the office around 10. She’s been up and dressed by 7:30, breakfast in her belly and a calmness about her that she hadn’t felt in a long, _long_ time.

They’d gone in to the office together, Tony chipper and hopped up on caffeine already. Not that she was that much better. She rather enjoyed the stuff too. They’d chatted for a few minutes before Pepper swung by with some paperwork for Tony and said her good morning’s to them both and after that, Clara had slipped into her new office all by herself.

It was literally right next door and wasn’t exactly small by any means. The view of the grounds was rather lovely with the sun shining and fallen leaves dancing about. She’d settled in easily at her new desk, told that if she wanted the office painted or anything changed, she was more than welcome to do so. Truth be told, she was more than pleased with the decor. Everything was warm and inviting, practical and comfortable.

Answering the phones was simple enough, even if she had to pause to remember where she was. Introducing herself and the name of her employer in one breath had been the norm for a long while now, the only difference was that she worked for Mr. Stark now and decidedly _not_ Mr. Rumlow. She’d never felt more relieved than she had right then.

She hadn’t slipped up once and while she calmly directed their calls to Tony or set up times for him to call them back, she answered emails on behalf of Mr. Stark and made sure she forwarded copies of them to him if they were deemed important.

It wasn’t difficult by any means, even when it got a little busy around noon. Tony had popped over with an older woman to introduce her and Clara had learned that she was one of the department heads at Stark Tower downtown.

They’d ended up speaking for a while and walked back to Mr. Stark’s office to make themselves more comfortable. After that…well, things took a slight turn.

After the meeting with the department head, Tony had invited her to follow him down to one of the lunch rooms to meet some of the other staff on the floor. There were a _lot_ of staff members to meet.

She’d definitely been rather overwhelmed but everyone had been so pleasant and inviting and eventually she found herself laughing and flushed with a sort of giddiness she hadn’t felt in a very long time, perhaps ever.

By 2 o-clock she was back in her office answering calls and putting together a few contracts Tony had asked her to pull while Tony met with Pepper in one of the conference rooms with severalof the company’s new interns. However, the work that should have taken twenty-minutes ended up taking nearly forty because she kept getting _visitors_.

Some of the young men she’d met at lunch had swung by to pay her a visit, welcome her to the company and all. She’d been baffled by the time a third employee turned up at her office with a quiet knock and while he was very pleasant, she couldn’t help but feel confused as she watched him walk away. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been the only one to see him walk out of her office.

“I see you’re making friends,” Tony drawled from the open doorway.

She looked up at him with a warm smile and shook her head. “Oh, you mean my visitors?”

“You mean there’s been more than one?”

She laughed lightly and nodded, getting to her feet. “David, Michael and Richard,” She listed, ticking off their names on her fingers.

Tony laughed and tried not to grin too widely. “ _Ah_ , well, I’m not all that surprised.”

Her brows furrowed adorably as she leant back against her desk while Tony took up residence on the arm rest of the chair in front of her. “You’re not? Because I am.”

Tony chuckled softly and shook his head. “Nah, I could see how much everyone enjoyed speaking to you at lunch. I’m glad you’re settling in. How are you finding everything any way? Any concerns?”

“None at all,” She admitted, still smiling kindly at him. “Everyone has been very sweet, honestly and the job while not difficult, definitely keeps me on my toes. You have a _lot_ of people interested in meeting with you, Mr. Stark.”

“Of course I do,” He chirped. “I am Tony Stark, after all.”

She laughed at that, no modesty for this man, honestly. They chatted for another minute before there was a soft knock at the door. “ _Oh_ , I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Stark-“

“ _Melanie_ ,” He greeted warmly. “What brings you by?”

Clara looked past him to see a young woman around her age, smiling sweetly, big blonde curls settled around her shoulders. She was dressed smartly in a grey pant suit and carrying a few files. “I actually had a couple of contracts to drop off to you and I’d heard you’d found yourself a new assistant. I wanted to come and introduce myself.”

Tony blinked and then found himself biting his tongue as he nodded and gestured to Clara. “Well, this is my new assistant, Clara. Though, I can’t say I’m particularly thrilled about more paperwork.”

Melanie laughed and nodded, setting the folders down on the side table for him to pick up on his way out. “I don’t blame you and it’s lovely to meet you, Miss Clara,” She greeted, reaching to shake hands with her.

Clara smiled and stood up straighter, returning the handshake easily. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Melanie.”

“Uh huh…” Tony said slowly, still smiling. “ _Well_ , I’ll give you two a chance to talk for a few, but I think we’re done for the day, Clara, so come meet me when you’re ready to go.”

“Of course, Mr. Stark,” She agreed and Tony hummed and said his good byes, heading back to his own office.

He didn’t quite make it, however, catching sight of Bucky stepping out of the elevator. He smiled, all teeth when Bucky met his gaze and the brunet smiled shyly as they met in the reception area.

“Hey, Bucky,” He greeted, glancing down at the two cups of what appeared to be coffee in his hands. “Did you bring me coffee?”

Bucky huffed a soft laugh, a warm flush rising to his cheeks. “Um, well, I suppose you can have this one,” He said, rather reluctantly and Tony grinned.

“Let me guess, you brought one for _Clara_ and you were going to walk her back to her apartment like the gentleman you are while sharing quiet chit chat over coffee?”

Bucky laughed, clearly found out, his cheeks flushing with a sweet blush. “Guess you’ve got me all figured out, huh?”

“Eh,” Tony shrugged. “I’m not sure about that, but anyway, I know she’d be happy to see you. She’s just in her office with Mel, she should be out in a minute.”

Bucky hummed and nodded, glancing past him when he heard light laughter. Tony turned and now both watched as Clara and Melanie stepped out of her office together, laughing and smiling at one another.

Bucky’s brows raised in surprise. “Is that _Melanie_ , Melanie?”

Tony barked out a surprise laugh and nodded, hiding his smirk behind the palm of his hand. “Yeah, she’s-Clara’s been rather popular today, actually.”

Bucky arched a brow at him. “Popular…how?” He said carefully and Tony snickered.

“I took her to the lunch room earlier to meet some more of the staff, make her feel more comfortable, you know? And uh-“ He cleared his throat slightly. “She’s drawn a bit of attention, made some new friends~”

The drawl was what made Bucky look back to him. “ _Boys_ who are friends?”

Tony shrugged. “I think they’d prefer to be called _men_ , Buck.”

Bucky scoffed and now _Tony’s_ brows were raising and he was _really_ struggling to hide his smirk. “Well, _I_ don’t prefer to call them men,” He gruffed and Tony bit his lower lip, glancing back to where Clara was blushing lightly while Melanie seemed to be complimenting her skirt, even going so far as to brush the backs of her knuckles against the darker fabric.

Bucky blew out a breath. “Does she know-?”

Tony snickered and Bucky cast him a quick glance. “They just met, I don’t think Clara’s got a clue.”

Bucky huffed, shaking his head but didn’t say anything. “I think you’re going to have to stake your claim, Buck.”

Bucky’s head snapped towards him and Tony smiled innocently. “I mean…it’s what _I_ would do,” Tony went on. “She met Peter yesterday you know,” He added. “He was ready to ask her out, said he was going to come by with a treat and maybe coffee for her today to congratulate her on her first day and everything.”

“Did he?” He said slowly and Tony bit his lip before shaking his head.

“No, I told him that she was off limits.”

Bucky huffed, looking back towards Clara who was gesturing lightly to Melanie’s suit jacket. “Guess that’s what you’re going to have to do with the rest of the office,” Tony hummed, thoughtful.

Bucky huffed but didn’t deny it. “I’ll let you walk her back, how about that?” Tony offered and Bucky breathed out slowly.

“Sure, Tony. I’ll see you at dinner,” He agreed and Tony hummed, patting him lightly on the shoulder.

“Be nice.”

“To Melanie?”

“To _every one_ , you’re murder staring at Mel right now.”

Bucky huffed but didn’t bother to stop. “Uh huh, see you at dinner, pal,” He muttered, heading towards the women without another moment’s hesitation.

Tony couldn’t help but stay and watch.

When Clara glanced up, catching movement out the corner of her eye, she was surprised to find Bucky walking towards her with-with a very commanding look on his handsome face. _Oh_. She swallowed thickly, her blush growing.

“H-hi, Bucky,” She greeted, clearly surprised to see him and she knew Melanie was looking at him too now, because who wouldn’t?

“Hi, Clara,” He greeted warmly and she tried _very_ hard not to shiver at the warmth in his voice. “Melanie,” He added, gaze flickering to the other woman.

“James…it’s nice to see you again. I didn’t know you knew Clara-“

“Oh, yes, we met last week, actually. Bucky was kind enough to put me in touch with Mr. Stark,” Clara confessed and Melanie’s gaze flickered between him and Clara a couple of times before settling back on Bucky.

“That was very sweet of you, James,” She agreed and Bucky couldn’t help the smugness when he realized that she knew _exactly_ what he was doing by inserting himself in their conversation.

Bucky hummed softly and shrugged. “Just wanted to help.”

Melanie’s gaze flickered between the pair and she nodded, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “ _Well_ , I’d better let you go. _Clara_ , it was really nice to meet you. Welcome to Stark Industries.”

“Thank you,” She murmured, quiet. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“I’m sure you will,” She agreed, glancing over at James. “Say hello to Nat and Clint for me, would you?”

Bucky hummed and nodded. “Of course.”

She smiled and flicked her gaze back to Clara, the brunette’s gaze already focused on Bucky and he didn’t miss the way her gaze flickered along her frame, gaze lingering on Clara’s legs. Bucky resisted the urge to scowl at her.

“ _Bye-_ “ She called out to them, turning and walking away.

Clara called out a soft goodbye of her own, her gaze still focused on Bucky. “Is everything okay?”

Bucky cleared his throat slightly. “Of course, I just-I thought you might like a latte after a long day at work-“

She laughed. “It was hardly long,” She admitted, blushing lightly as her gaze flickered down to where he was holding the two cups. “But that was very sweet of you.”

He swallowed thickly and nodded, extending his left hand towards her. She tentatively reached for it and he tried not to shiver as the warmth of her fingers brushed against the coolness of the metal. “It’s a chai latte, I h-hope you like it.”

She beamed at him, raising the cup to her lips to breathe in the scent. “ _Ooh_ , I love chai latte’s, thank you, Bucky.”

“You’re welcome,” He whispered, a knot releasing in his chest at the warmth hat radiated from her. “Mind if I walk you back to the apartment? Tony’s gone on ahead, wanted me to tell you.”

She smiled at him warmly and nodded. “I wouldn’t mind at all. Let me just close up my office.”

Bucky nodded and waited while she went and shut everything down and tidied up her workspace. He tried not to loom in the doorway, but when he caught sight of a few Stark employees down the hall poking their heads out and looking in his general direction…he couldn’t help but school his features and stare right back.

If his stare happened to appear a bit murderous, well…he didn’t much care, and when Clara stepped out not a moment later with a bright smile on her face, latte in hand, he was sure he was radiating smugness as he gestured in front of him. “Shall we?”

“Of course,” She chuckled, letting herself be coaxed out in front of him.

He shot one more glance over his shoulder at the curious crowd and didn’t feel the least bit sorry when they all seemed to wither beneath the force of his murder-stare.

Later, he’d get a _talking to_ by Tony that consisted of, _you might have well peed a circle around her desk, Buck. I had messages from Pepper claiming that some of the employees thought they might be in mortal danger,_ and all Bucky could do was hum and smile behind his hot chocolate as he settled back into the sofa in their apartment. Keeping the pleased smile off his face at this point was far from even remotely possible.

Tony and Steve would be lying liars if they didn’t think the whole situations was hilarious and when they learned that he had plans to go to Clara’s for dinner the following night, well…they maybe teased him a bit for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the terrible time between updates. I've recently gone back to work and I've not been able to focus on reading nor writing much as of late. I have more than I've posted written but it needs some editing and I'll be honest with you, I'm tempted to save the editing for a bit. I'd rather finish writing the story, go back and edit and then post the remainder all at once. But uh, I don't want to disappoint you guys? So maybe let me know your thoughts on this? <3 Love you all and thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. <3 xo be safe, stay healthy and keep reading and writing!


	13. Chapter 13

Dinner had gone…it’d gone really well, actually. It was easy, sitting and chatting with her while she made dinner for him. She flit easily around the kitchen and though she wasn’t familiar with where everything was just yet, she managed just fine, even with Bucky’s watchful gaze focused on her.

They’d shared a quiet dinner…and a bottle of wine, because Tony insisted he bring something with him. Bucky wasn’t against bringing something, but he’d been thinking more along the lines of a desert, not alcohol. He was rather pleased with the result, however. Because a lightly flushed and giggling Clara was the sweetest sort of torture he could have envisioned.

She was lovely when she laughed and Bucky knew he was blushing just the same, even if the alcohol had nothing to do with it. Her radiant smiles and happy laughter was enough to have him blushing and wanting her to never stop.

Conversation was easy between them while they ate and afterwards, she pulled out ice cream and fresh fruit for desert which Bucky was all too happy to partake in.

Conversation slowly trailed off into easy quiet as they wound down with sweetened coffees, lounging on the sofa together. Bucky’s eyes kept straying to where he could see the piano bench by the windows, her cello and violin cases propped up against it. So of course she noticed after a time.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked me to play,” She murmured after a while.

Bucky startled badly at that and she apologized softly. “I should be apologizing,” He breathed, setting his now empty mug down on the coffee table.

“Why? Because you’re curious?”

Bucky cleared his throat slightly and shrugged. “It’s still not my place to ask you to play something.”

She shrugged lightly and stood, picking up his empty mug along with hers to take them into the kitchen. “You can always ask for what you want,” She admitted, voice quiet. “Just don’t expect people to always say yes.”

“I don’t,” He agreed quietly.

She looked towards her violin and exhaled shakily. “You know, I quit my job at the restaurant.”

Bucky hadn’t expected that. “You did?”

She hummed and nodded, still standing in the kitchen as she watched him. “I did and-and the manager, he’s been a friend for a long time, Harold and his wife Carol,” She shrugged lightly. “They asked me if I might consider playing at the restaurant one evening a week for guests.”

Bucky’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

She flushed lightly andnodded, her gaze dropping. “Yes, Harold said-well I-I played the other night, w-when Steve and Tony visited. At Tony’s request,” She added. “Harold told me that many of the guests had-they’d-“

“Enjoyed what they heard?” He prompted quietly, watching with a warm smile as she nodded and blushed even more so.

“Yes, I suppose so,” She agreed.

“And what do you think about that? About playing for people?”

Clara worried at her lower lip a bit. “I think I like the idea,” She confessed. “I just-I haven’t really played much in front of people before…not since I was quite young.”

Bucky paused. He wanted to ask, he did. But something stopped him. There was something in her eyes right then, something that made the light he’d seen there all evening dim the slightest amount. If he hadn’t been watching her so closely, he may never have noticed it at all.

“Would it make you happy? To share that with people? Your talent?”

Clara’s gaze flickered up to meet his again and she smiled a bit shyly. “It might, I guess I won’t know until I try, right?”

Bucky’s gaze softened. “That’s true.”

She nodded and he could see the lightness coming back into her pretty blue eyes. It looked as if she’d decided it right then and there and she confirmed it not a moment later. “I’ll call Harold in the morning, tell him I’d really like that.”

Bucky beamed at her. “That’s great, Clara.”

She relaxed even more so at that and came back into the living room on light feet and Bucky couldn’t help but notice just how much shorter she was without her heels on. She was just so sweet and delicate and he _ached_ to see her play, _hear_ her play. He exhaled shakily and looked away as she stepped back over to the sofa.

“It’s getting a bit late,” He murmured, quiet. “I should probably let you get some sleep. You have work in the morning, after all.”

Clara smiled and reluctantly nodded. “It is, I-I had a really nice time tonight with you, Bucky. Thank you for coming.”

Bucky stood and rounded the couch, watching as she came closer to him. “You’re very welcome, Clara. Thank you for dinner again, everything was delicious.”

She shrugged lightly. “It was only pasta.”

“Yeah, but it was homemade-“

“Only the sauce,” She huffed and he grinned at her, shaking his head.

“Still better than the stuff Steve puts together.”

She laughed lightly at that and followed him to the door, biting her lower lip as she pulled it open for him. “Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t,” She shrugged lightly and Bucky snickered, shaking his head.

“ _Trust me_ , it’s better than his.”

Clara flushed but she couldn’t help her pleased smile. Bucky thought she was gorgeous, especially with that ever present flush that graced her cheeks. He loved that it only made the dark freckles there stand out even more.

“ _Noapte bună_ ,”[good night] He found himself whispering and the way her whole demeanour softened as she practically swayed towards him had him lighting up, his heart skipping over itself. It was nothing in comparison to the pounding of her heart right then.

To be able to hear it so clearly, it had him exhaling shakily as she whispered back, “ _Noapte bună,_ Bucky.”

He wanted to reach out for her, found his fingers twitching at his side as he resisted the urge to do so. He wondered if she noticed.

He nodded lightly and turned to step outside when he felt her careful fingertips gently wrap around his bared wrist. He stilled, afraid that if he turned to look at her he’d do something foolish, like kiss her to within an inch of her life.

“ _Mul_ _ț_ _umesc_ ,”[thank you] She whispered, her thumb swiping tentatively at the sensitive inside of his wrist.

He couldn’t suppress his shiver, nor could he keep himself from turning to look back at her. “You don’t need to thank me, Clara.” He shifted then, slipping his wrist from her grasp only to grasp her hand as she went to take it back.

She stilled, the widening of her eyes so sweet and _innocent_ as he cupped her fingers with his and raised them to his lips. The soft press he placed there had her nearly gasping for her next breath, catching herself just in time.

She could swear Bucky knew she wanted to anyway.

“ _Noapte bună_ , Clara,” He whispered again, gently releasing her hand as he turned to leave.

He didn’t have the guts to turn to look back at her as he approached the door to his apartment. The fact that he could still feel her eyes on him was more than enough to carry him through the door.

Of course, he was surprised to find Steve and Tony on the sofa together, half asleep while some nature documentary or another ran on in the near darkness of the room.

“Hey, there you are,” Steve murmured sleepily, Tony blinking himself back awake from where he was sprawled out over Steve’s broad chest.

“H-hey,” He said shyly, blushing at not only having caught them in such an intimate position, but also from himself being caught coming in so _late_.

“What time ‘sit?” Tony mumbled, rubbing tiredly at his eyes.

“Just after 11,” Steve murmured, gently rubbing along Tony’s back.

Tony blinked in confusion over at Bucky. “And you’re just getting in _now?_ ”

Bucky must have lushed right to the tips of his ears because he could feel the warmth there. “It was just dinner,” He tried weakly and both men chuckled softly.

“We know, Buck,” Steve consoled, helping Tony get to his feet and following suit. “Did you have a good time?”

He nodded shyly and smiled. “Yeah, uh, her pasta sauce is way better’n yours.”

Steve barked out a surprised laugh and Tony grinned beside him, both much more awake than just moments ago. “That so?”

Bucky nodded, still blushing but quickly relaxing as he made his way into the living room. Tony yawned and Steve rubbed his back lightly, leaning into his boyfriend. “Well, I’m glad you had a good time. What did you guys talk about?”

Bucky was about to tell him that they just chatted about their days and the like, just enjoying each other’s company, but a sound distracted him and he paused, mouth already open. But he’d been watching Steve at the time and when he noticed the blond had stilled too, clearly catching wind of the sound too, Bucky was powerless to turn wide eyes towards the hallway that led to their bedrooms.

“What’s wrong?” Tony asked curiously, frowning a little but when Steve hushed him, the brunet looked up at him in confusion and looked about ready to ask again when he heard it.

“Is that-“

“ _Hush-_ “ Bucky whispered and Tony’s jaw snapped shut.

Before he knew it, Bucky was striding past him and practically running down the hallway to their bedrooms. He stopped just outside the room Steve used to paint in and when he glanced back at Steve when he heard the blond’s footsteps, he merely nodded, giving Bucky permission to go inside; not that he needed it.

He pushed open the door and Steve calmly followed him into the room, Tony just behind him. Bucky didn’t pay attention to any of that though, far too busy listening. Listening to the sound of Clara playing her violin.

Bucky was afraid to breathe, lest he drown out the beautiful sound on the other side of the wall. He stared at the wall, several paintings propped up against it, one painting even hung up for a change. Bucky’s eyes drifted to it and fixed upon it but he didn’t _see_ it.

“Beautiful,” Bucky found himself whispering, feeling so lost, _unmoored_.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, listening to the notes floating around the apartment next door. It was louder than he would have thought possible, coming through a few layers of plaster and the like. But he supposed it was thanks to his exceptional hearing that allowed him to hear it so clearly.

After a while, the music began to taper, growing softer, quieter. He wondered if she was moving out of the living room and that’s why the sounds became more muted.

“Buck?” Steve called softly and Bucky startled so badly, he went so far as to clutch at his chest.

“ _Sorry-_ “ Steve quickly apologized. “I didn’t-“

“It’s fine,” Bucky said hoarsely, quickly clearing his throat and reluctantly pulling himself from the wall, glancing quickly to a quiet Tony.

“I’m surprised we can hear her so well,” Tony murmured. “When she asked if she could play in the apartment, I…may have told her that we had great soundproofing.”

“What?” They both asked curiously.

“Well, maybe I didn’t phrase it _exactly_ as such. When she asked me, she asked if it would be bothersome to play in the apartment and I instantly said no, of course it wouldn’t and from that she thought it was because there was great soundproofing…”

“And you didn’t bother to correct her,” Steve huffed with a smile.

Tony shrugged and glanced to Bucky who looked happy yet somewhat guilty. “So she has no idea we can hear her when she plays?”

Tony winced. “Not…exactly, no I guess she doesn’t know.”

Bucky huffed but couldn’t resist casting a quick glance to the wall. He knew the living room was just on the other side and with the wide open space, he wasn’t at all surprised she’d chosen it to play in.

He worried at his lower lip gently and sighed, glancing over to Tony. “Any word on her piano?”

Tony’s eyes lit up and soon they were making plans to discuss it in the morning because yes, there had been some decisions made and Tony really wanted Bucky to be a part of it and it was late, just after midnight. Even so, when Bucky crawled into bed a short while later, he found himself unable to sleep just yet.

He wished he could have heard her play properly, but he knew she had some reservations about playing in front of people, clearly. He wouldn’t push. She’d already made a promise to share the song she was writing for hi-

He exhaled shakily and scrubbed the metal hand down his face to quell the sudden flush that rose unbidden to his cheeks at the reminder. She was writing a song for _him_. The _why_ was still on the tip of his tongue, but if he just didn’t let himself think about the why, he could pretend that it was because she wanted to. He didn’t entirely believe her when she’d said she’d wanted to write it to him in thanks. He wanted to though.

He huffed softly and shifted onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. _Christ_ , but it was much too hot.

He cast the blanket aside and shoved the sheet down to pool about his hips breathing out shakily as he let himself drive in thought for a while. Spending time with Clara was proving to be one of his favourite things. All he seemed to be doing as of late was thinking of her, thinking of the next time he would get to see her, spend time with her.

He worried at his lower lip as he let himself think back to earlier that evening. When he’d arrived at the apartment, she’d invited him in and she quickly opened up the wine for them to share. They’d chatted in the kitchen while she’d busied herself making dinner and despite Bucky’s attempts at trying to offer her his help, she simply wouldn’t hear of it.

He thought it was sweet and promised not to get in the way. He found himself sneaking glances at her as she moved about the kitchen and had to force himself to look away more than his fair share of times.

She was wearing leggings that were probably the worst thing she could have possibly done to him, _honestly,_ and paired with a simple t-shirt that had far too much fun teasing Bucky by riding up every few minutes, he was very much distracted by her every move.

Now, lying alone, awake and unable to sleep, he was once again thinking of her, was once again distracted by her. He couldn’t remember a time where he felt like this. So distracted by another person, his mind filled with thoughts of someone else with whom he wanted-

His next breath in hitched. He-he _wanted_ her and that was it, wasn’t it?

He grunted softly as his cock twitched in his boxers. “ _Fuck-_ “ He whispered, both shocked and excited by the admission.

He still struggled most days with wanting things, asking for things. He forced himself to do it because he knew he should and he liked it when he asked for something and Steve would give him this warm smile and murmur, _of course, Bucky, whatever you want_ and while Bucky loved that, he didn’t really want to hear that from his best friend. Even if he didn’t always feel like he was deserving of it.

He wanted to hear Clara whisper it to him, wanted to whisper it to her, too. He exhaled long and low as he trailed warm fingertips down his belly to come to rest lightly against the waistband of his boxers.

He wondered and not for the first time, if he was in over his head with all this. He wanted to help her, of course he did. Wanted to get to know her too, but this? This-getting excited over the thought of her, thinking of her in a sexual light? But it wasn’t only that. He wanted to get to know her, spend time with her, share his life with her, even if just for a moment.

“You only just met her, you psycho. Don’t get ahead of yourself,” He grumbled and instantly felt stupid.

He knew better than to be so self deprecating. It’d only lead to a bad night’s sleep and a concerned Steve for the next few days. He sighed. He didn’t like to worry Steve.

He ignored his semi-interested cock and got out of bed to pull on a pair of sweatpants and a tank. He wasn’t about to get any sleep, not now. He needed a distraction, one that didn’t involve shoving a hand down his pants and thinking of Clara while he did it. She deserved better than that.

“What are you still doing up?” Tony blurted and Bucky found himself caught off guard by the man stepping out of Steve’s room with a steadily rising flush to his cheeks.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Bucky admitted gruffly and couldn’t help it when his gaze dropped to the purpling mark up a little too high on his neck to be covered by a shirt collar.

When he raised a brow and tried to hold back a smirk, Tony only grumbled something under his breath and slipped past him. Bucky followed him into the living room with a soft smile.

“What’s keeping you awake?” Tony asked him, heading to the kitchen to pour himself some water.

Bucky shrugged lightly and sat down on the sofa, sighing and leaning his head back against the cushions. “Just thinking.”

“About?”

Bucky frowned and looked over at Tony as he leaned against the kitchen counter, glass of water raised to his lips. He wanted to talk to someone about this, he did. He just wasn’t sure _how._

“Is it about Clara?”

Tony managed to startle him again and Bucky huffed out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated.

He barely noticed when Tony came into the living room and flopped himself down into one of the chairs.

“I guess I’m not great at keeping secrets anymore, huh?”

Tony smiled at him kindly. “I think you’re just getting used to what it’s like to live again, Buck…you shouldn’t be upset by it. Sometimes our emotions are easy for people to read and no matter what we do, we can’t exactly keep it from those who know us best.”

Bucky sighed but nodded. Steve could read him like a book these days, though, he was pretty sure that’d always been the case.

“So, what’s bothering you?”

Bucky looked over at his friend, at the earnestness on his face, the friendly concern and Bucky folded like a cheap deck of cards. Tony had been nothing but good to him. Even if he was terribly annoying at times.

“I’m scared,” He confessed and had to look away from Tony when his eyebrows rose before he could stop himself. Bucky supposed it was funny, the Winter Soldier, scared. Hydra would be sneering at him in derision.

He curled in a bit on himself at the thought and Tony didn’t fail to notice. “ _Hey-_ “ He whispered, voice firm as he got up and came to sit beside him. “Whatever’s got you scared, we’re here to help you through it. You know that, don’t you?”

Bucky nodded, grateful and sick with embarrassment all in one breath. “I know, I do, it’s just-“ He huffed. “It’s embarrassing, what’s frightening me.”

Tony frowned. “I’m not going to judge-“ But of course Bucky gave him a flat look and Tony amended himself. “Well, not at first. After, I’ll judge you after we’ve gotten it sorted.”

“Uh huh,” Bucky sighed but he couldn’t resist a small smile before turning his attention to his mismatched hands, now folded in his lap. “I’m scared I’m falling for her,” He admitted after a time, unable to meet Tony’s gaze.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

Bucky exhaled shakily and shrugged. “I’m afraid I’m falling for her too quickly. H-how can someone hold such a pull over another? I look at her and I just-“ He shrugged, helpless. “I want her, and I want to be hers.” 

“And that scares you? Falling for someone who you only just met?”

Bucky nodded, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Of course it does, she’s already confessed to trusting me and I- _Christ_ , _Tony-_ I’d do anything to keep her safe.”

Tony’s gaze softened. “I don’t think it matters how long you’ve known her, Bucky,” He consoled. “You’ve clearly made a connection with her and she with you. Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be between you two. I’ve never been one for love at first sight, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.”

Bucky exhaled deeply and nodded. He wasn’t one to believe in such a thing but after meeting Clara, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I think you’ve got a great chance to be with her, Bucky. I really do. She’s such a sweet girl and she’s clearly interested in you. She _likes you_ and I think if you’re interested in pursuing her, don’t wait to make it known. She’s a pretty girl, Buck-“

“Beautiful, Tony, she’s so beautiful. She’s also so young,” He sighed, looking to Tony.

“You think her age is important?”

“No, not really, I guess. She may look young but I don’t think she’s had an easy go of it.”

“Neither do I,” Tony confessed quietly. Though neither knew what that might mean.

They sat in silence for a short while and Bucky sighed deeply. “Why does she have to be so lovely? I mean, she’s so kind, so open, _friendly_ and I’m dying to hear her play her violin, for _real_ this time.”

Tony shot him a sympathetic smile. “I don’t doubt that you will get to hear her, Buck.”

Bucky exhaled shakily and tipped his head back, looking up at the ceiling. “What are you thinking? Because I can see that face you’re making and it doesn’t look like anything good.”

Bucky bit his lip and tried to ignore the heat building behind his eyes. “I’m not sure I deserve to be in her life the way I want to be.”

Tony wanted to smack him, as such, he simply took a deep breath. “That’s so stupid it hurts.”

Bucky huffed and turned his head a bit to look at the man. “I’m serious-“

“I know, that’s what makes it so stupid,” Tony blurted and Bucky sighed, shaking his head and getting to his feet.

“It’s not stupid, Tony,” He muttered. “Y-you know I struggle with this sort of thing-“

“Bucky, I do know,” Tony consoled, voice much softer now. “But we’ve spoken about this before and you know what the outcome will be.”

Bucky did know what the outcome would be and he’d try and believe it, would maybe even manage to do so for a very short while, but it always ended the same. With him disappearing into his room for days on end, holed up, depressed and lonely. Until Steve finally managed to coax him out of his slump with the promise of ice cream, baked goods and cheesy sci-fi movies.

“I know-“ Tony interrupted his thoughts. “I know this is hard for you and I don’t imagine these feelings of yours are going to just go away overnight and I’m not talking about your feelings for Clara,” He sighed, eyes searching Bucky’s face carefully. “But what I do know, is that you deserve to be happy.”

Bucky frowned and crossed his arms, glancing down as the metal arm whirred anxiously. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I deserve _her_. You’ve spent time with her, you know how kind she is.”

“And you don’t think you’re kind?” He shook his head. “Bucky, your kindness is the reason you even met her in the first place.”

Bucky averted his gaze and shrugged lightly. “Doesn’t mean I’m a good person.”

“I’m going to smack you,” Steve sighed from behind him and Bucky jumped and then glared at his friend. “Seriously, Buck, I ought to.”

Bucky rolled his eyes and Tony huffed, leaning over the back of the couch to see them better. “If you don’t, I will.”

“Stop it, I shouldn’t have said anything, I-“

He’d made a break for the hallway, not wanting to have this conversation anymore, but Steve blocked his path. “ _Bucky,_ ” Steve sighed, catching him by the arm gently. “We’re not trying to upset you.”

“I know,” He mumbled, not looking at him. “I just-this isn’t easy.”

“Do you think it was easy for me to admit to Steve that I loved him?” Came Tony’s soft voice.

Bucky stilled and couldn’t resist looking up at Steve, the blond’s gaze trained over his shoulder on Tony, of course. Bucky couldn’t really do anything other than turn to look at the genius. “You’re friends with him,” Tony added quietly. “You know about all his-“ He waved in the general direction of Steve. “ _Steve-ness._ ”

He huffed softly. “He’s _waaay_ too good for me, _honestly,_ ” Tony laughed. “He could do so much better-“

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve breathed. “That’s not true, you’re the one who’s too good for me, honey.”

Tony gaze softened and he looked like he was going to melt into the sofa cushions. He looked back to Bucky and shook his head. “Do you think I can believe him wholeheartedly when he says shit like that? I’ve done a lot of terrible shit in my lifetime and he’s done nothing but good.”

Bucky’s heart went out to the man. Because seriously, how could he think that?

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve whispered quietly and Tony’s gaze flickered back up to Steve.

He shrugged lightly. “Doesn’t mean I’m not trying to believe it. He’s very good at trying to convince me.”

“ _Ugh_ ,” Bucky grimaced. “Stop it, you two are so gross.”

Steve was blushing lightly as he smiled a little tentatively at his boyfriend. “But do you get what we’re trying to say?” Tony sighed.

“Even if I don’t believe it now, maybe I will eventually?”

Tony hummed and tipped his head from side to side. “At its simplest, sure, but we’d rather you try and see it as something not to believe, but to accept. You know you deserve nice things, to be happy and feel safe,” He shrugged lightly. “Believing that is one thing, but accepting it, in my eyes, is another.”

Steve sighed softly and Bucky looked up at him quietly. “Tony’s right, Buck. I don’t think you’ve managed to get there yet and that’s okay…we just hope that you’ll stop fighting yourself, putting yourself down, because it just isn’t healthy.”

Bucky inhaled shakily and nodded. He knew they were right, of course they were. It was Steve and although he hadn’t known Tony nearly as long, he was pretty sure Tony was right 98% of the time.

“N-no, you’re both right, of course you are. It’s just-“

“Sometimes not that simple,” Tony murmured in understanding, watching as Bucky ran shaky fingers through his dishevelled hair.

“Yeah,” He sighed and tried to relax as Tony came up beside him and gently bumped his shoulder.

“Get some sleep, I’m sure you’ll feel better about all this in the morning. If you’re falling for her, even if you think it’s a bit fast, if you’re clicking and you’re both happy-“ He shrugged. “Where’s the harm in it?”

Steve hummed softly in agreement and Bucky exhaled deeply and nodded. “You’re right, yeah. I’ll head to bed. You guys have a good night…and maybe go to your room Tony if uh-“ He waved at the pair of them. “You know.”

Tony barked out a surprised laugh, meanwhile Steve flushed and right down his chest at that. Bucky averted his gaze quickly when he gave Tony a sort of hopeful look. “I’m out,” Bucky laughed and the pair chuckled softly and said their good nights before slinking off to Tony’s room for the night.

.

“ _So_ -“ Clara started, clearing her throat lightly and drawing Tony’s attention.

“So?” Tony prompted when she didn’t immediately continue. He dropped his gaze a bit, his glasses falling down his nose.

She shifted in her seat, huffing softly as she fiddled with the contract she’d been reading over with Tony. “So…I have to ask about Melanie…”

Tony grinned at her and leaned back comfortably in his chair. “What about her?”

“Well, it’s just…she popped by my office this morning with a fresh croissant and coffee, a latte actually,” Clara explained, a bit baffled that she’d managed to get her something she really did enjoy. “And then she popped by again at lunch with a fruit salad and um… _yeah_ …I think she might have been flirting with me?”

Tony’s smile was downright incredulous. “You _think_ she might have?”

Clara flushed lightly and shrugged, tapping her pen restlessly against her knee. “It’s not like I have a lot of experience with people flirting with me.”

Tony raised a brow. “You’re telling me that you _don’t_ get hit on left right and centre?”

Clara rolled her eyes. “Of course not-“

“Then what the hell do you call yesterday? You had half the staff following you around like lost puppy dogs, they were practically _drooling_ over you until Buck-“

He cut himself off abruptly, nearly catching his tongue between his teeth in the process. He cleared his throat roughly and shrugged, meeting her gaze. He found himself searching her face because seriously, she looked positively clueless.

“To answer your question, yes, Melanie was definitely flirting with you and I can ask her to stop if it bothers you-“

“N-no, I can um, I can tell her-tell her myself, just um, let her down gently and all…” Clara looked entirely too flustered by the conversation and Tony found himself even more enamoured by her.

Tony watched her carefully for a moment before shaking his head and getting up from his desk. Her gaze followed him for a moment until he called back to her. “I’ll be right back, help yourself to some coffee if you like.”

She murmured a quiet thank you and frowned when she heard Tony’s soft sigh of, “She really doesn’t know, does she?”

She let him go, knowing that she probably wasn’t meant to hear that and couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably. Because surely Tony had been wrong about his staff…they weren’t…following her…around like…

“ _Oh_ -“ She blurted, cheeks flushing crimson. She got to her feet to pour herself a cup of coffee and shifted uncomfortably for a moment and glanced down at herself.

Just in a simple white blouse today with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and one of her new pencil skirts she’d taken a liking to. A forest green number with a slit up the side instead of the back for a change.

It was comfortable and she wouldn’t be caught without her heels in public, so of course she had on a new pair of black heels that she was hoping to break in sooner rather than later.

She exhaled slowly and wondered if she had perhaps overdone the whole office attire dress code? She’d always loved to dress professionally and now that she truly _could_ , she maybe had gone too far? She frowned, adjusting her blouse and wondering if she should do up another button before she reached for the carafe and an empty cup. She’d only left the top two undone and barely any of her skin was showing, surely that wasn’t-

_You’re asking for it, aren’t you, you little slut. Walking around looking like you do, just begging someone to-_

She gasped, startling terribly as she spilt hot coffee over the back of her hand. “ _Shit-_ “ She breathed, fumbling to set the cup down without making more of a mess.

She quickly went to the bar sink and ran the cold water, hissing as soon as she put her hand under the cool stream.

“What happened? I leave you alone for two seconds-“

“It’s fine, I’m fine. Just spilt a bit of coffee,” She explained, exhaling shakily as she turned her hand beneath the water.

Tony didn’t say anything but he did move to pick up a hand towel to help her and when he touched her elbow lightly and startled her, his soft apology had her relaxing almost instantly. She shut the water off and let him pat her hand dry, despite wanting to pull it away.

“It’s not that bad, Tony, thank you, I-“

“If it’s not that bad,” Tony interrupted gently. “Then why are you crying?”

“What? I’m not-“ She reached up with her other hand to touch her cheeks and when she pulled her fingertips away, they were suspiciously wet.

“Try again,” He murmured, reaching for a tissue with his free hand, still holding her injured one wrapped up in the towel.

“I-“ She blinked, confusion evident and Tony shook his head when she didn’t appear to be any more forthcoming.

“Sit down a sec,” He sighed and put her back in her seat.

She let him push her into her seat and only a minute later he was back with a few cubes of ice wrapped up in a smaller towel. “Here, let me get a look at it.”

Clara didn’t say anything, but she took the towel off and offered him her hand again. He frowned, gently placing the ice over the angry pink spot. “Well, it doesn’t look too terrible.”

“I told you,” She murmured but quieted when he gave her a quelling look.

“Then why the tears?”

She quickly looked away and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Tony barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but then his gaze caught on the bruising on her opposite wrist. “What happened there?” He prompted, gesturing to her other arm.

She glanced at him in confusion and then noticed what he was looking at. She tensed slightly and Tony did not fail to notice. His mouth was already opening to push but then she was shrugging. “Nothing, I just fell and someone tried to stop me from falling and ended up grasping me too hard.”

Tony’s brow furrowed and she shrugged. “It’s fine, happened early in the week. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

Tony just stared at her for a long moment before he sighed and got to his feet. Her gaze followed him and only became even more confused when he went to close the door to his office. “You know-“ He called quietly. “I would be more inclined to believe you if you weren’t such a terrible liar.”

Clara blinked in confusion, her gaze following Tony as he came around to sit on the edge of his desk. “I’m-I’m not lying.”

Tony pinned her with a careful look and when she didn’t look away, nor say anything else, he took a breath. He supposed it was better to do this sooner rather than later.

“Did you know that you flinch a lot?”

Clara recoiled at that, physically even. Leaning back and shifting away from him in her seat. “No, I don’t. I’m just easily startled.”

As if that wasn’t such a blatant lie. “You shy away from the simplest of touches.”

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Mr. Stark.”

“ _Ah,_ no more Tony? We’re back to Mr. Stark?”

“Well, you are my boss, aren’t you, Mr. Stark? I only thought that I should be professional around you, show you some respect.”

Tony hummed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looked down at her from his perch. “If you want to show your boss some respect, maybe you shouldn’t lie so blatantly to him.”

It was a low blow, Tony _knew_ it was and yet he just couldn’t resist. He didn’t much care for all the secrets.

She was looking up at him now with a very nervous expression on her face, truthfully, she looked more than nervous, borderline frightened even. “Tony, please don’t-please don’t ask me-“

Tony pushed out a rough breath. “Are you safe?”

She blinked, caught off guard by the question. “What?”

“Are you safe?” He repeated. “Are you in danger of-“ He scrubbed a hand over his face and motioned to her arm.

Clara’s breathing hitched and she quickly shook her head. “I’m not in danger, not-not anymore. I’m s-safe.”

Tony’s eyes flickered over her face, taking in every micro-expression she made. “You’ll tell me if you aren’t. If not me, then Bucky or Steve- _Jarvis-_ “

“I will,” She breathed quickly. “I will, I promise.”

He nodded, glancing away for a moment before nodding and fixing his gaze back on her. “Let’s take another look at that hand.”

Clara let him look, let him come close, let him take her hand in his and turn it this way and that as he looked it over. She knew it wasn’t a terrible burn by any means. Her skin might blister a little but she didn’t think it was too bad.

“Alright, it’s already after 4, I’m beat, time to go home.”

Clara laughed softly and gestured to the contracts still on the table. “What about those?”

“Eh, I’ll take them with me, try and finish looking them over later tonight.”

Clara sighed softly and glanced at the paperwork. They still had a fair bit to go over and she didn’t want to leave it all for him. “How about we bring it with us and go order an early dinner? We skipped lunch and I know you must be hungry.”

Tony’s gaze softened. “You think you’d be alright to keep at it?”

“Of course, come on, we’ll camp out in my apartment, I’ll make dinner and we can try and finish it.”

Tony huffed. That did sound like a _lovely_ idea. “Yeah, okay, I’m game,” He chuckled. “I don’t remember the last time I had a home cooked meal.”

She laughed lightly and got to her feet. “I’m not much of a cook, but I get by.”

Tony scoffed. “Bucky said you make incredible pasta sauce.”

Clara stilled from where she was collecting the stack of papers they were going to have the pleasure of looking over. “He did?”

Tony paused, having been in the midst of sending Pepper an email letting her know he was off for the weekend pending an emergency. “Yeah, o’course he did. Came in last night and said you made better pasta sauce than Steve. I’m a little jealous I wan’t invited,” He sniffed.

Clara flushed lightly and Tony could see her smiling and trying to hide it. “I’m sorry, I’ll make you a nice dinner tonight and maybe if we finish early enough, I can make cookies.”

“Oh my _God,_ ” Tony gushed. “I’ll go over everything and you can make cookies. How’s that sound?”

Clara chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. “Sure, Tony. I’ll make you cookies.”

Tony beamed at her. “I knew I hired you for a reason.”

She laughed, blushing lightly. “Stop it, you had no idea I could bake nor cook.”

“This is true,” Tony hummed and she chuckled softly and helped him grab a few more of the files they were likely to need.

He hadn’t even intended to pull her in to help him, he’d asked her to come in to pick up another file and she’d seen the giant stack he’d been staring at for the better part of an hour and doing his best to ignore and offered to help. And _here they were_.

They were just going in to the elevator when he happened to look down and uh, _unintentionally_ check her out. “What are those?” He blurted.

Clara frowned, turning around in the small space and pushing a button to take them down a few floors to the main level. “What are what?” She asked curiously.

Tony blinked and gestured to her legs. “Uh, _those?_ ”

She frowned and looked down at herself, wondering if she’d spilt coffee on herself or something. But when all she saw was her nylon clad legs, she merely raised a brow. “My nylons?”

“Uh, yeah? They’ve- _sorry-_ I didn’t mean to stare, I just noticed the-“ He cleared his throat and gestured again.

“The pinstripe?” She finished for him, laughing lightly as she twisted her leg so he could see it better.

“Yeah, uh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen anyone wear something like them.”

Clara flushed lightly and shrugged. “I know, they’re a bit old fashioned I suppose. I’ve always liked the way they look, I guess.”

Tony hummed and nodded. “They look good on you, suit you, actually.”

Clara smiled a bit shyly. “Thank you….so…”

“Hmm?”

“What’s your favourite kind of cookie?”

The grin he flashed her had her beaming just as brightly.

.

Of course no sooner had they settled in, Clara moving about the kitchen to get dinner at least started while Tony hopped up at the island to get back to his paperwork, did he get a call from Steve.

“ _Where are you?_ ”

“I’m with Clara in her apartment. We left work but couldn’t really leave it behind, you know? So, she’s making us dinner and then cookies-“

“ _Seriously?_ ” Steve laughed. “ _You know, Bucky’s going to get jealous._ ”

Tony scoffed. “We’re _actually_ doing work too, you know.”

“To be fair-“ Clara called, amusement in her voice. “It’s mostly you doing the work and me slaving over a hot stove.”

Steve laughed over the line and Tony couldn’t help but laugh too. “Suppose you heard that?”

“ _I did,_ ” He agreed and Tony just knew he was smirking on the other end. “ _Well, Bucky and I will be back shortly…_ ”

“Are you fishing for an invitation, Steven Grant Rogers?” Tony asked, scandalized.

He looked over and met Clara’s gaze, winking at her and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Why don’t they come by around 6? That gives us enough time to at least try and get the contract finished and I can hopefully have dinner ready for around then.”

“Cookies too?” He asked hopefully and she rolled her eyes. “Cookies will go in the over as soon as we’re done dinner, promise.”

“Okay,” He said eagerly, turning his attention back to the phone. “ _Clara_ says you can both come over around 6~” He drawled and smiled as Clara huffed softly under her breath.

Steve snickered. “ _Sounds good, we’ll bring the wine, how about that?_ ”

“ _Perfect,_ see you then.”

.

Right on time, they arrived at 6 with two bottles of wine and smiles on their faces. They’d barely stepped into the kitchen to greet the pair before both men were pulling up short at the edge of the kitchen at the sight of Clara, still dressed in her work clothes and puttering about in her heels.

Bucky made a curiously soft noise and Tony glanced over his shoulder at the pair. “Hope you guys are hungry, wait, what am I talking about. You two are always hungry,” He teased and Steve found himself laughing a touch weakly, gaze flickering from Tony back to Clara who’d turned to greet them cheerfully.

“ _Hey_ , I hope you both like shepherds pie? I made two, one with lots of veggies and the other with lots of cheese and ground beef. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I wanted to make sure I had all the bases covered.”

“That-that sounds fantastic,” Steve confessed and she smiled, clearly relieved as her gaze flickered to Bucky, only for him to quickly avert his gaze.

“Bucky? If you don’t like shepherds pie, I can make you someth-“

“I love it,” He blurted, interrupting her quickly. “I-“ He cleared his throat a bit when his voice came out a bit too hoarse. “I love shepherds pie, my uh, my ma-“ He pushed out a breath, suddenly finding himself unable to speak past the lump in his throat.

“His ma used to make the best shepherds pie in the neighbourhood,” Steve offered, voice gentle and Bucky shot him a grateful look.

Clara blushed lightly and glanced down at her oven mitt covered hands. “Oh, well…I hope you like mine. I’m sure it won’t compare to your mother’s, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.”

“I’m sure I will,” He finally managed and she smiled warmly at him before gesturing back to the stove.

“Make yourselves comfortable, Tony said you were bringing wine so I pulled down a few glasses.”

Tony gestured to the decanter and the several glasses on the island. “Pour us all a glass, darling?” He asked Steve gently and the blond hummed, blushing lightly.

“Will do.”

Bucky settled onto one of the stools beside Tony and couldn’t stop his gaze from flickering back to where Clara was pulling the pies from the oven, his gaze immediately catching on her nylons. He could _feel_ his skin flushing with the _worst_ kind of blush at the sight of that simple delicate line from heel to skirt.

He exhaled roughly and curled his arm around his middle, leaning over the counter slightly and of course caught Tony grinning knowingly at him. The waggle of his eyebrows was enough to make Bucky scowl at him, until he caught Steve looking at Clara’s legs and blushing almost as badly as him.

“Thought you’d like those,” Tony hummed quietly, Steve blushing in embarrassment at being caught.

But when he turned to look at Tony, the genius’ gaze was firmly settled on Bucky.

“Shut up,” He grumbled, quickly glancing away and Steve had to bite his lip to keep from saying something that would probably be pretty terrible.

Soon enough they’d all settled in at the island, Steve kind enough to get everyone’s place settings organized. They shared wine and good food and when Clara excused herself to get started on the cookies, Bucky had no choice but to offer her his help.

He’d hoped she’d accept his help but he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d told him to sit. Regardless, he was happy to help and while they busied themselves making cookies, Tony and Steve put away the dishes and tidied up the kitchen around the pair.

It was entirely too domestic for Tony’s liking, except he kinda sorta loved it. Not that he’d ever tell anyone. _Ever._

After they migrated to the living room and Clara pulled the cookies from the oven while Bucky made everyone hot chocolate spiked with _Bailey’s_ because _Tony said so._

“This turned out to be an unexpectedly lovely evening,” Tony offered, sprawling back comfortably in his seat.

The others murmured their quiet agreement but then something dawned on Tony. “ _Oh_ , don’t you normally work on Friday nights?”

Clara blinked, hot chocolate raised to her lips. “Oh um, I guess I didn’t tell you.”

She glanced nervously at Bucky and then back to where Tony and Steve were watching her quietly.

“Um, well, I thought it would be alright to just keep the one job, with you, s-so that I would be available in case of an emergency or something,” She shrugged lightly. “And when I called my manager, Harold, he uh, he mentioned that he and his wife were hoping to ask if-if I’d consider playing at the restaurant for guests.”

Tony blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“Y-yeah,” She admitted, obviously a bit nervous. “This morning I called him to say that I’d be happy to,” She shrugged lightly and looked down into her mug.

“That’s great!” Steve blurted, surprising her at how happy he sounded.

She smiled at him and Tony shook his head, drawing her attention. “That’s really great, honestly,” Tony added and Clara instantly relaxed, glancing to Bucky.

“When do you think you’ll play?” He asked, voice quiet and the way he was holding her gaze with such an unwavering intensity had heat rising to her cheeks.

“On Sunday, um, Harold said it might be nice to play for the lunch crowd instead of dinner first, might be more comfortable,” She shrugged lightly and then startled when Tony snapped his hands.

“I’ve got an idea,” He announced. “How about I make reservations for the Team and we can-“

“ _No-_ “ She blurted and then immediately apologized, setting down her mug. “I’m sorry, that was rude, I just-“ She shook her head, practically pleading with her eyes for him to understand. “I don’t think I would be very comfortable…knowing I had all of you watching, I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Tony rushed to assure her and she visibly relaxed, her gaze anxiously flitting around them but never actually meeting their gazes. “Sorry, that was presumptuous of me. I can imagine it’s not going to be an easy thing for you to go through-“

“I appreciate the show of support, I do. I’m sorry, I just-“ She shrugged a bit helplessly. “Don’t think I could focus if I knew I had the Avengers in my very first audience.”

Their gazes softened collectively and Steve offered a quiet word. “Of course, Clara. We understand. Let us know if you ever change your mind.”

She smiled at him warmly and nodded. “I will and I’m sure I’ll play for all of you well before you visit the restaurant again.”

Tony hummed and nodded, but of course the oven dinged and Steve practically rocketed up from his seat. “I’ll help you with the cookies.”

She laughed and nodded, already heading for the kitchen herself. “Of course, Steve. Thank you.”

Once they’d managed to gather all the cookies and put a dozen on a plate while the rest cooled, they popped back into the living room but Clara paused. “You know what? I’m just going to go change into something more comfortable,” She laughed. “I’d forgotten I was still in my work clothes.”

Tony chuckled softly and gestured to himself. His blazer lost over the back of one of the sofas, top two buttons of his dress shirt unbuttoned and the cuffs of his own sleeves rolled up much like hers. He was the picture of casual comfort…even in his damned suit.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, you don’t have to walk around in heels all day and I’m pretty well convinced that you practically live in a suit, so-“

Tony laughed softly and nodded, hands up. “Fair enough,” He chuckled and Clara shot him a small smile, her gaze catching momentarily on Bucky’s before she murmured a quiet, _I’ll be right back._

Bucky helplessly let his gaze follow her out of the room, because looking away from her retreating form was just not something he was strong enough to resist. _Oh God_ -

He made a weak noise in the back of his throat and quickly averted his gaze, settling back into his seat, only for Steve to breathe out roughly and Tony to raise a brow at _both_ men.

“ _Okay_ , what’s going on? You are _both_ drooling over her and that’s-“

“It’s the stockings-“ Steve blurted, entirely apologetic. “I’m sorry, it’s just-“ He shrugged helplessly and Tony raised a _very_ curious eyebrow at that…until his lips ticked up in a slow smile.

“The stockings, yeah?” He teased, gaze flickering between the two men.

Bucky scrubbed the metal hand over his heated face and nodded while Steve just blushed and murmured another quiet apology. “Sorry, um, yeah…just, t-those kind were quite uh, _popular_ back-back in our day and it’s been a _while_ since we’ve seen anyone-“ He waved his hand helplessly in the direction she’d gone off in.

Tony snickered. “I get it, Steve.”  
“That’s not all-“ Bucky blurted and Steve looked to him pleadingly.

“ _Bucky-_ “

“ _What?_ It isn’t-you _know_ it isn’t-“ He said defensively, practically whisper-hissing at the blond.

Steve groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose and now Tony _really_ wanted to know what the hell they were on about. “Yes, _fine,_ I know,” He muttered, blushing furiously and looking to Tony.“The pinstripe was crooked, j-just now.”

Tony blinked. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “ _And_ …”

Steve huffed and looked at Bucky as if to say, _really?_ Bucky bit his lower lip and glanced towards the hallway, making sure she wasn’t back yet. “It-it was just a thing. You see a good girl wearing uh- _those-_ and they were religious about keeping their lines straight, you know? So uh-“ He cleared his throat and shrugged. “W-when you saw a girl with her line out of place, it-“ He blew out a breath, clearly embarrassed about having to explain himself. “It just looked like she’d been uh-having a good time?”

The silence that followed was awful and Bucky was about to try and fill it with _something_ when Tony suddenly burst out laughing. Bucky wasn’t sure if he could honestly blush any harder and when he looked to Steve in exasperation, all the blond could offer was a huff of amusement, clearly just as embarrassed as he was.

“Oh _wow_ , that is the best thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t _wait_ to tell her about-“

“ _No!_ ” They both shouted in unison and now Tony was _really_ laughing, so hard in fact that tears were coming to his eyes.

“What’s going on?” Clara asked uncertainly.

Bucky’s gaze whipped towards her and saw how curiously confused she looked, but at least she was smiling and hadn’t appeared to have heard their conversation. “N-nothing, just a stupid joke-“

Tony wheezed in a breath and Bucky only just barely resisted the urge to throw a pillow at him. Steve didn’t bother. He smacked the genius with one of the throw pillows and Tony snickered and clutched it to his chest.

“S-sorry, _sorry_ , that was just too good.”

“Are you going to share with the class?” Clara chuckled, striding towards them and Bucky’s gaze snagged on her jumper…because it _was_ a jumper.

A black one piece that looked incredibly soft, a pant-suit with long flowy sleeves and a high neckline. There was barely any skin showing and yet Bucky thought she might as well have been naked with how slinky the material was. Though, it wasn’t exactly see-through or anything.

“Uh, I think if I share, I might get a smack, so no, I’ll keep it to myself,” Tony chuckled and Clara huffed, dropping back into her seat.

“I’m no angel, Tony-“ She laughed. “But if you’d like to keep my _sensibilities_ in tact, I won’t be mad about it.”

Tony huffed, still grinning. “I’ll keep it to myself.”

Clara smiled, glancing between Bucky and Steve and shook her head at the way they were clearly blushing. Rolling her eyes, she leant forward and picked up the plate of cookies, offering them to Bucky.

“Try one?”

“Of course,” He murmured, smiling timidly as he plucked one from the plate before she moved to offer them to Steve and Tony.

They settled back in and shared a few cookies together while they finished their hot chocolates and chatted some more. After a while they could clearly see that Clara was starting to tire, she was still actively participating in their conversation, but she was slower to respond and kept trying to hide her yawns.

After about the third yawn in as many minutes they decided to call it quits. “Thank you so much for helping me finish these,” Tony sighed, stacking together the papers they’d sort of shoved aside when they’d sat down to dinner. “I’ll drop them off to Pepper in the morning.”

“You’re welcome, I didn’t mind.”

“Thank you for dinner too, and those sugar cookies were delicious, so thank you for those too,” He chuckled and she beamed at him tiredly.

“You’re welcome,” She glanced to where Steve and Bucky were hovering at the door, Steve carrying a small Tupperware full of cookies and Bucky carrying a larger one with the last of the shepherds pie.

“Everything was delicious,” Steve agreed. “We can’t cook, as you’ve probably guessed.”

She laughed lightly and shrugged. “I tend to cook the same things over and over again so I’m not quite the chef you think I am.”

Tony shook his head and hummed. “Believe me when I say that your cooking is better than anything we three could have cooked up combined.”

She huffed, clearly amused and rather bashful. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the company. It was nice to spend time getting to know you…”

She shrugged lightly, looking shy and a bit insecure and Bucky didn’t like it, didn’t like to see that insecurity on her youthful face.

“It was really nice to spend time getting to know you too,” He confessed, smiling warmly at her while he ignored the heat rising to his cheeks.

She blushed lightly and when Tony cleared his throat, they both shot him a look. “Have a good night, Clara. We’ll see you later and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask Jarvis-“

“Or come next door, there’s usually at least one of us around,” Steve offered and she nodded.

“Thank you, I’ll see you all later. Have a good night,” She wished them quietly, Steve and Tony saying their warm goodbye’s as they headed back down the hall.

Bucky paused when she whispered his name, his gaze instantly meeting hers. “Yeah?”

She was quiet for a second, her eyes bright in the dim light and Bucky wanted to haul in a shaky breath and had to force himself to regulate the next one. “I wanted to let you k-know, you know, in-in case you wanted-“ She shrugged and he blinked in confusion as she struggled to voice herself.

“W-what I mean to say is,” She tried again, running a nervous hand through her dark hair, fluffing it up endearingly and Bucky knew his face was probably doing something stupid because how could he not smile at her all smitten-like when she did something like that? “I’m playing a-at the restaurant on Sunday at eleven. I-in case you wanted to know.”

Bucky’s lips parted and he knew his face was probably doing something even _more_ stupid as he floundered for a moment. Because that sounded a bit like an invitation? Maybe?

“Um, so, goodnight, Bucky, I just thought you might like to know and-and I’m really glad you enjoyed dinner-“

“And desert,” He blurted and she smiled shyly at him.

“And desert,” She agreed quietly.

Bucky tried not to feel like a creep just standing there staring at her, but she was also sort of standing there and staring at him, so-

So of course he didn’t miss the way her eyes darted down almost imperceptibly to his lips and then right back up to meet his gaze. He also didn’t miss the way her heart-rate picked up and he wholeheartedly ignored the way his kicked up too.

“I just wanted to say thank you, Bucky,” She breathed and Bucky found himself momentarily stunned as she leaned up, a warm hand settling so lightly, so carefully against his chest as she pressed the chastest of kisses to his cheek.

He didn’t even get the chance to _do_ anything. Wasn’t even really sure if he was _supposed_ to do something. He blinked and finally managed to ask, “For what?” As she settled back on her feet, the warmth of her hand disappearing and leaving him wanting to shiver at the loss of that barely there touch.

“For being so kind and supportive, of course,” She murmured and she sounded so sincere it left him swallowing thickly to try and find something to say to that.

“R-right, of course,” He repeated and then felt like an idiot. “I m-mean, of course I would be. What kind of person wouldn’t?”

And it was a rhetorical question, at least, he’d meant it to be as such, so he was caught off guard when she whispered, “You would be surprised.”

She blinked and shook her head, smiling warmly up at him as if she hadn’t realized she’d said it and Bucky floundered for a moment. “I-I’ll always be supportive and I’d never be anything less than kind to you, Clara. You know that, don’t you?”

She paused, her breath catching on the word, _always_. “I s-suppose I do.”

He nodded slightly and gave her a gentle smile, his gaze flickering to the lock of hair that had fallen from its place tucked behind her ear. But just as she reached up, Bucky did too. He reached up and she froze as his fingertips lightly brushed the strands back behind her ear.

He’d done it without conscious thought but the moment he realized what he’d done, the moment he realized she was watching him with parted lips and bated breath, his fingertips brushing the gentle curve of her ear, he pulled his hand back slowly.

“Sorry, I-“

“Don’t be-“ She whispered. “Don’t be sorry.”

Bucky swallowed and tried to resist the urge to worry his lip nervously. He nodded and dropped his hand to his side, ignoring the tingling he could feel where his skin had touched hers. “Good night, Clara,” He managed after a moment, relieved when she smiled at him tentatively.

“Good night, Bucky.”

He stepped away from her and already he felt the warmth of her having been so close to him, just disappear. He exhaled shakily and sent her another small smile as she stepped back into the apartment and slowly closed the door. Not without a few more awkward glances and shy smiles, however.

So of course it was in the midst of a smile of his own after the door had shut, that he looked up and realized he wasn’t exactly alone in the hallway. Steve and Tony were peeking out of the doorway to their apartment and had most likely seen the whole damn thing. Knowing Steve, he’d probably _heard_ it all too.

Bucky’s smile quickly morphed into a scowl and when the pair realized they’d been caught they disappeared back into the apartment with twin squeaks of surprise. Bucky’s murder-stare could be, well, _murderous_.

“Not a word,” He growled as he slipped into the apartment, door shutting quietly behind him, the pair already fleeing towards Steve’s bedroom.

He rolled his eyes and with a huff, put the shepherds pie into the fridge and disappeared into his own room. He flopped down onto his bed and rolled over onto his back and let out a deep sigh into the darkness of his room. He didn’t even have the energy to turn on the lights, nor change into pyjamas. Tonight had been…a lot, he supposed.

Though, last night had been a lot too and now with this surreptitious invitation to watch her play…he wasn’t entirely sure how to process it all and to top it all off, he’d _touched her_. He-he so rarely felt comfortable with other people to do so and yeah, he’d given her a kiss on the cheek last night, but this-this was entirely unconscious. He just did it. Without thinking! When was the last time something like that had happened to him, he wondered.

He sighed deeply and reached for the hem of his sweater, exhausted and anxious and so out of sorts. He just wanted to go to sleep, he’d think about everything else in the morning.

When he was finally in nothing but his briefs, he paused with one knee on the bed, looking down at his ruffled blankets. He shook his head and stripped his briefs off too before sliding under the covers with a slight shiver.

It took him a long while to settle, thoughts shifting from one thing to the next, disjointed and all consuming. He didn’t like when his anxieties got the better of him. Who did, though, really? He just thought he’d been doing better, making progress and he _was_. He was just startled by his desire to touch her in such a way.

It was something so small, so simple and _insignificant_ and yet it was _everything_ to him. He rubbed at his face tiredly and pushed out a rough breath and wondered when things would just be easy for him.

He worried at his lower lip and dragged his hand down his face to rest limply against his chest. He could feel the steady beating of his heart beneath his palm and he closed his eyes and tried to focus on that, his deep, slow breaths.

He let his mind wander for a short while, his thoughts drifting back to earlier that evening, sitting beside Clara and watching her smile and laugh. She had the sweetest freckles smattered over her cheeks, her nose and the most adorable crows feet at her eyes whenever she laughed.

She was so sweet, so kind, warm and inviting. She’d made them all dinner and it’d been delicious. Her shepherds pie was fantastic and her _cookies_. He wanted to groan at the very thought of them, they were just that good.

He bit his lower lip and worried at it, knowing the skin was probably pink, his lips swollen from all the biting he’d been doing. He huffed quietly and shifted beneath his blankets, the sheets brushing lightly against his sensitive skin.

His next breath hitched in his chest and he paused, the light touch, the weight of the blanket as it settled over his soft cock, comforting in a way it never was. He rarely felt comfortable sleeping naked, feeling too vulnerable, too sensitive. He shifted and nearly choked on his next breath when the sheet dragged so lightly over the head of his cock. It twitched lightly and he held his breath, the warmth of arousal lighting beneath his skin.

He stilled, not entirely sure where this was coming from. _That’s a lie_ , a little voice in the back of his head whispered and he made a soft noise of discontent, shifting to plant one foot flat on the mattress, the sheet pulling away from his groin and giving him some space.

He exhaled shakily and dragged his hand lightly down his bared stomach, fingertips slipping through the light tufts of hair that made up his so called _happy trail_. He was so warm beneath the sheets he realized, gently throwing them off his shoulders, his chest. They fell to pool at his waist, hiding his still mostly soft cock and he bit his lip a little harder as he trailed his fingertips a bit lower.

The moment his thumb connected with the head of his cock, his hips jerked so hard he gasped with surprise. It was more a surprise of how sensitive he was than the actual knowledge of discovering that his sex drive was apparently choosing this moment to come back.

He wasn’t complaining, not really, it was just an odd sort of thing, to _want_ to pleasure himself. Half the time he couldn’t even get fully hard when he was in the mood to try and do something about it. He’d stopped trying ages ago so yeah, maybe it’d been a while and his body wanted him to wake up.

He breathed out steadily and ignored the way his cock twitched again against his thigh. He ignored it and trailed warm fingertips up along his thigh, teasing at the sensitive skin there as he let his eyes drift close, his mind wander.

He didn’t have fantasies anymore, not when it came to his love- _er-_ sex life. He didn’t think of women or men for that matter, not really. He usually just let himself focus on the sensations, the touch of his own hands on his body, his body’s response too. He’d been sensitive for quite some time now, basically since Azzano and that…was not something he liked to think about.

But the sensitivity? He did like to think about that.

He shivered when his knuckles brushed teasingly against the length of his cock, slowly filling with each twitch, each gentle caress. He huffed softly and allowed himself a moment, swiping the pad of his thumb along the sensitive flesh. He twitched heavily and he hissed through clenched teeth.

Sometimes it was almost too much but he wanted it, wanted to get lost in the feeling, even if he couldn’t get off. He wouldn’t dwell on it, just enjoy the sensations. Like this he could let his mind wander to the warmth of his body, the heat building slowly in his groin. He breathed out roughly as he teased the base of his cock as it twitched and filled. He was already more than half hard and he sighed as the pleasure built, the warmth, built.

He whimpered as his mind chose that moment to flicker to the warmth he’d felt when Clara’s lips had pressed lightly to his cheek and he turned his head to the side, wanting to bury his face in the pillows.

 _Don’t-_ and he wasn’t entirely sure if he was pleading or demanding that his mind not go there. Regardless, he instantly felt guilty for thinking of her, of the warmth he’d felt when she reached up and pressed her palm so gently against his chest. He’d wanted to sink into that feeling, wrap his arm around her middle and draw her even closer.

He moaned at the thought, the guilt overshadowed with the sudden want he felt nearly strangled by. He shuddered, his grip turning more sure, fingers curling around the length of him and giving himself a firm stroke. His next breath was nothing more than a choked sob as he swiped his thumb roughly over the head of his cock.

The pleasure was almost unbearable, it was so strong, so intense and without thinking he wasgripping himself harder, back coming up from the bed before he was thrusting up into his hand. The bitten off whine that escaped him was startling and he quickly covered his mouth with the palm of the metal hand, the coolness of it giving him a little relief from the heat practically _burning_ beneath his skin.

Just that soft press of lips and she’d somehow reduced him to this-this shaking, whimpering mess of a man that wanted to drown himself in her warmth, bury his face in her hair and _breathe_ nothing but _her_ into his lungs.

He struggled to hold back another whimper as his hand tightened, his hips jerking slightly as he thrust up into his grip. He was harder than he’d been in a long while and it was the first time he’d actually given shape to something other than himself bringing him pleasure. But the thought of Clara even just _close_ to him had his cock aching, arousal pooling low and spreading through what felt like every nerve ending he possessed.

He pictured Clara again, blushing sweetly and directing that shy smile at him. He pictured the way her lashes fluttered when she laughed, the sweet crinkle at the corners of her eyes so endearing. And those _eyes_ , so stormy, filled with warmth and a kindness he could only hope to return. _God_ , but how had he gotten so close and so quickly?

He whimpered, a pitiful sound as he turned to bury his face in his pillow. He shuddered as he squeezed the head of his cock on a firmer upstroke and let out a quiet barely stifled moan as the warmth built low in his belly.

He let his thoughts drift to what it might feel like to have Clara close, to feel the warmth of her hand again resting on his chest. Even through his sweater he swore he could feel her warmth. He had heard her heart beating beneath her breast, her careful breaths, controlled and as even as she could possibly make them. He wondered what it would feel like to feel more of her warmth, have her press in closer, let her feel _his_ warmth.

He gasped and moaned, shocked and sudden as he came over his hand, the warm spurts coating his fingers and making each frantic stroke that much slicker. _Christ_ , but he hadn’t even needed to grab lube, he’d been so wet. He whimpered as a bit of oversensitivity worked its way in and he slowed his strokes, shuddering through the aftershocks as they wracked their way through him.

He exhaled shakily, a soft moan escaping him as he relaxed back against the mattress, his hand falling to rest against his stomach, not wanting to make an even bigger mess. He huffed, staring up into the darkness of his bedroom and blinked when he realized what he’d done.

“ _Oh Christ_ ,” He muttered, his chest still heaving. “You got off to the thought of her _hugging_ _you._ ”

He whimpered, feeling small and pathetic, embarrassed and ashamed. He exhaled shakily and shook his head. “What would the old you say to that, pal?” He mumbled, closing his eyes and ignoring the pang in his chest.

He just wanted to be close to someone again and he’d not wanted that in such a long time. It amazed him that he could want such a thing again after everything and he-he just wanted to love and be loved. If that was even possible. If it was possible for someone to love _him_ …that was a harder pill to swallow. He was pretty sure he could love Clara if he gave himself a bit more time.

Scratch that. He _knew_ he would fall in love with her and he wasn’t going to need much more time to get to see that.


	14. Chapter 14

“Hey,” Steve called softly and Bucky glanced over to him, catching the blond leaning back on the sofa and peeking at him over the top of the couch. “Where are you off to?”

Bucky faltered in his steps, a lump forming in his throat. “Just out,” He offered, shrugging stiltedly.

He pointedly ignored how Steve’s eyes narrowed the tiniest amount before his lips ticked up in an all too knowing smile. “Have fun, Buck.”

Bucky huffed but didn’t say anything, merely waved half-heartedly at his friend and slipped out the door.

.

The trip to the restaurant was quick if not particularly pleasant. He’d opted to take the bike and even with the purr of the engine between his legs, a usually calming feeling, his anxiety was attempting to get the better of him.

By the time he arrived at the restaurant, it was just on noon and he was jittery with nerves. He hadn’t made a reservation and he hoped it wouldn’t be too busy. He’d been so iffy on whether or not he was going to even come but after thinking about the nervous way in which Clara had sort of invited him? He decided that he really wanted to be there for her.

So, here he was.

“Do you have a reservation?” The hostess asked, gaze not having lifted from the book she had open in front of her.

Bucky paused and then grimaced. “Uh, no.”

“Oh, well that’s alright, I’ll see what-“ She paused, blinked and Bucky tried to smile at her, hoping he wasn’t about to get turned away. “Mr. Barnes,” She greeted, a bright smile taking over and Bucky blinked, surprised.

“H-hi, uh, yeah, that’s me,” He acknowledged and the young woman- _Chelsea_ -according to her name tag lit up at him.

“Right this way, please. Clara reserved a table for you.”

Bucky...didn’t know what to make of that but he found himself smiling tentatively anyway. “That was kind of her,” He admitted, following the young woman through the foyer and through the bar area.

Chelsea laughed softly and nodded, glancing to him over her shoulder as she led him through the restaurant. He took a moment to look around and didn’t spot Clara anywhere, he did, however, see a small area that looked as if it were set up for a performer and he wondered if that’s where she would be playing.

“Here you are, Mr. Barnes,” Chelsea chimed, motioning towards a small intimate booth set away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the restaurant.

“Thank you,” He murmured, slipping his coat off and folding it over his arm.

“You’re very welcome, your server will be by shortly. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Bucky nodded and slipped into the booth, tucking his jacket in beside him as he whispered a quiet _thanks_. He did make himself comfortable, as comfortable as he could be, anyway. He sent a quiet thanks to Clara for choosing one of the better vantage points for his table, too. From here he could see almost the entirety of the restaurant. It was a quiet and intimate corner and though he couldn’t see the whole bar, he had a clear sight of the front foyer and the rest of the dining area.

He exhaled shakily and nodded. He could be comfortable here.

.

His server arrived after only a few minutes, a young woman named Melissa, she was sweet and offered him their brunch menu, brought him water and suggested he try one of their specialty lattes which he readily agreed to try.

He still hadn’t seen Clara anywhere yet, though and he wondered if that was deliberate. Maybe she was nervous or unsure if he would come. He was pretty sure she was nervous, she’d said as much, but he knew she would be lovely, surely.

He bit his lower lip and glanced around one more time and when there was still no sight of her an a quick glance at the clock showed 11:55am, he decided he could take a moment to use the washroom.

.

“Would you calm down already,” Harold huffed and Clara scowled at him.

“How can I be calm? I’m not even sure he’ll come-“

“Of course he will,” He sighed. “You did invite him, didn’t you?”

Clara hummed quietly and nodded. “I did but what-“

“He’ll be here then. It’s quarter to and-“ He paused and squinted slightly. “Is that him?”

Clara whipped around and with steadily widening eyes, she ducked back into the kitchen. Harold just blinked at her. “You baffle me sometimes, dear.”

Clara scowled at him and motioned him back inside the kitchen. “I just don’t want him to see me yet, I-I’m really nervous.”

“ _No_ -“ Harold gasped. “I hadn’t noticed,” He said flatly.

“I don’t appreciate the sarcasm, Harold,” She muttered and he rolled his eyes and sighed deeply.

“You’re going to be fine and I assigned Melissa to his table so he’ll be well looked after.”

She hummed again softly and nodded, nervously fiddling with her shirtsleeve. “I’ll go out right at noon. Everything’s already set up and most of the reservations are arriving now and in the next while so I’ll be starting when people are being seated.”

“We didn’t get to advertise too much, but this was more a trial run for you, see how you like it and how you’re received by the guests. Despite not advertising overtly, we did manage to fill up the afternoon with reservations.”

“What?” She blurted, clearly surprised.

“Yeah, didn’t Chelsea tell you? The restaurant is full from noon to three, everything else for the day tapers off after that. It’s not our usual Sunday at all. You know what the dinner hour is like for us-“

“We’re usually packed for dinner and lunch is generally quiet.”

“ _Yeah_ , but today we’re busy for dinner, not insanely so and even more busy for lunch. It’s going to be a long day, but I’m so happy with the turn out for the day, even our dinner reservations are impressive considering the draw we’ve had for the lunch crowd.”

Clara nodded, worrying at her lower lip. Her gaze caught back on where she could see Chelsea had led Bucky to the table she’d had reserved for him and made sure to keep back out of sight as best she could. She found her gaze softening as he looked around a bit and settled into the booth.

He looked a bit unsure of himself and he was clearly nervous about being there but when Melissa showed up to take his order and he gave her a soft smile, she melted a bit. He was nervous, yes, but he also clearly wanted to be there to see her play and when he got up a couple minutes later to use the washroom, Clara decided she’d better head out there.

At least by waiting until he’d slipped into the bathroom, she could walk past his table without being seen.

If she felt a bit guilty about that, she tried not to let it bother her.

.

Bucky had just finished washing his hands when he heard the first notes from the dining room. He stilled, blinking at his reflection and for a moment he felt frozen in place, unable to move. It barely lasted a moment before he was turning and hastily drying his hands.

His trip back to the table was nothing but a blur. He’d all but fallen into his seat the moment he’d caught sight of Clara across the room.

 _Beautiful_ was his first thought, followed closely by a softly breathed, _fuck_. Because she-she was _stunning_. Standing there in a simple cream cashmere sweater and a pair of dark brown wide legged trousers, black heels and even suspenders resting comfortably on her shoulders. She was the perfect picture of casual elegance.

Her hair was drawn back in a bun, half up, half down and with the way her head was tilted as she held her violin aloft, tucked beneath her chin, soft wisps of her dark hair fallen about her face, he was certain he’d never seen a more beautiful sight before.

Her lashes kissed the tops of her cheeks as she played, her fingers gliding over the frets, toying with the strings expertly with each perfected note. She played so intensely, so entirely focused on the sound of each note, the song as a whole. He thought that if he were to stand right in front of her, close enough for her to feel his warmth, she wouldn’t even notice. So absorbed was she in her music.

 _Oh_ and her _music!_ It was beautiful, there truly were no other words for it. Ethereal, perhaps? It was so melodic and he felt helplessly lost in the face of it. It drew him in, each and every note grasping at him, plucking at his heart strings and _moving him_. It was overwhelming, what she was capable of reducing him to.

He was certain of it now. _No one_ had _ever_ made him feel like she did. No one had ever made him feel so _strongly_. Not like this.

She played for what seemed like ages to him and not once did his eyes nor ears wander. At some point Melissa had come by to deliver his latte and when he did manage to breathe and look at something that _wasn’t_ Clara, he also found that she’d brought him a butter tart.

He was a little perturbed by the fact he’d missed her visit to the table entirely, however. He tried not to dwell on it and found it rather easy in the face of Clara and her music.

The minutes ticked by and he’d finished his latte and treat and although she must have been playing for at least an hour by now, she didn’t appear to be tiring in the least. Wholly absorbed in her performance while the dozens of people that filled the dining room watched and listened while they enjoyed their meals, their coffee and tea. How she could be so oblivious to them was beyond him.

One song bled into the next and although they all _seemed_ different, there was clearly a connection that strung them all together throughout and it was during one particularly high and drawn out note that Bucky realized something.

He’d been crying.

He startled when he felt a drop of water hit the back of his flesh hand and for a moment he didn’t know what he was looking at in the face of several droplets now adorning the back of his knuckles. He paused, staring at the small pool of his tears as it shifted with his movement and slipped from his fingers, another droplet soon catching his eye.

He visibly startled when he realized what was happening.

He reached up to brush his cheeks and when his knuckles came away wet and shiny with his tears, he exhaled shakily and glanced around, hoping that no one had seen him in such a state.

He couldn’t dwell on it for long, however, not when he could see that Clara was shifting as she played as she began to wind down the song and she hadn’t done that before now. Something told him that she was preparing to finish and he-he couldn’t speak to her like this.

He quickly wiped away the tears that had gathered on his cheeks and hoped that his eyes weren’t too blood shot as he grabbed his coat and pulled out his wallet. He left a few bills on the table and pulled his coat on. He knew he must look the sight as he headed towards the server’s station where he could see Melissa and a young man conversing quietly and he hoped he wouldn’t be forced to explain himself.

“I’m sorry to bother you-“ He started quietly, instantly drawing Melissa’s gaze, the young woman smiling at him, even if there was a bit of confusion in her eyes.

“Not at all, Mr. Barnes. What can I do for you?”

He nodded and cleared his throat slightly, gaze flickering towards Clara as her notes tapered off. “I left e-enough to cover my bill at the table but I’m sorry, something’s come up and I have to head out. C-can I slip out the back door?”

To her credit, she didn’t look too shocked by the request, the young man beside her, however, barely seemed to resist wanting to ask a million and one questions. Bucky was grateful she didn’t let him.

“Of course, Mr. Barnes. Let me walk you out.”

He shot her a grateful smile and her coworker a slight nod before he was turning to follow her through the doors to the kitchen where presumably he’d be able to slip out a back door. He whispered a quiet apology and for a moment contemplated leaving a message for Clara but when he turned to look back at Melissa and saw her sympathetic smile, all he could do was nod and smile at her gratefully with a quiet _thank you_ escaping him.

.

Clara was quiet as she made her way through the restaurant, nodding gently towards the few people she passed as they murmured soft praise and gave her warm smiles. The moment she’d opened her eyes, the last notes of her song fading from her ears, she’d instantly looked towards Bucky’s table. Finding it empty with no trace of the man anywhere in sight, she’d found her tentative smile wavering while her chest clenched unpleasantly.

Maybe he hadn’t liked her music after all. She smothered her frown with a small smile as a few people had clapped as she passed and when she passed by the table Bucky had been seated at, she could see that he’d left a few bills behind.

She was surprised, however, when Melissa came bustling out from the kitchen with a shy smile on her face. “ _Hey-_ “ She greeted, quiet but rushed. “Mr. Barnes just left, but I-I could tell that he wanted-he really wanted to stay, Clara. I’m sure of it, he just said that something had come up.”

Clara nodded, a bit relieved, even if she was all kinds of curious. “Oh, t-that’s all right.”

Melissa nodded and Clara smiled at her nervously before glancing away. “Well I should-“

“You played so beautifully, Clara.”

Clara breathed in deeply and ignored the light flush rising to her cheeks. “Thank you, Mel, I-I should go get my things. I’m um, I’m feeling really tired after that.”

“Of course, I think Harold was up front chatting with a few customers last I saw. Make sure you stop to see him.”

“I will, thanks again, Mel. I’ll see you later, all right?”

“Of course, bye, Clara.”

Clara merely nodded and went to pack up her things and grab her coat. The trip back to the compound had given her time to reflect on her performance and while she’d been unsure during her hurried conversation with Harold on the way out the door, she was quite sure now that she’d done the right thing.

She’d felt _wonderful_ playing for all those people. They had been kind and genuinely happy to hear her play. Many of them had spoken to her in passing, told her how lovely she’d played, how joyous her music had been. The consensus was clear. They’d loved it and Harold had been thrilled.

Now, away from the group of customers and her coworkers, she could admit to herself that yeah, it had been amazing playing for them. Playing for someone other than _herself_.

She hadn’t thought she would ever enjoy it quite so much again. It’d been a long time.

She exhaled shakily and thanked Happy as he dropped her off and although he’d assured her that there had been no calls in for the Avengers, she couldn’t help but feel a bit worried. Bucky had left because something had come up. She hoped everything was okay but didn’t dare ask Happy about it. She’d maybe ask Jarvis once she got in.

Carefully adjusting her grasp on her violin, she found herself humming under her breath as she headed up to her apartment. It was still awfully quiet around the compound and Tony had told her that the rest of the Team was away and would probably be returning in the next couple of days. She was eager to meet them but was nervous all the same.

She wondered what they might think of her. She was essentially a nobody and yet she’d managed to slip into Mr. Stark’s life along with Steve and Bucky’s with very little effort on her part. She wondered if they would like her or if they would think she had some kind of agenda. These were important people and the last thing she wanted was for them to think that she was here for some nefarious purpose.

She _liked_ James. _Really_ liked him and having met Tony and Steve, she had definitely taken a liking to them as well. They had all been so helpful and she was eternally grateful for their support, their endless well of patience and kindness.

She let out a breathy sigh as she thought about Bucky and his kind smile, the warmth in his eyes. She hoped he was okay.

Worrying at her lower lip, she slipped out of the elevator on her floor. Walking past Steve and Bucky’s apartment, she only just resists the urge to knock and see if everything is all right. She’ll check in with Jarvis first and the halls were quiet so they likely weren’t even here right now. She shifted uncomfortably as she made her way the few more steps to the door to her temporary apartment. _Bucky_ ’s apartment.

No sooner did she set her violin down and shrug out of her coat, was there a soft rap at her door. She paused, coat slipping from her shoulders and in a bit of a daze, she draped it over the back of the sofa before heading back to the door.

She didn’t expect to see Bucky standing on the other side looking contrite and doing everything in his power to avoid her curious gaze. “Bucky?” She asked curiously, pulling open the door to give him the opportunity to come in. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes-“ He started, voice gruffer than she’d heard it before. “I-“ He cleared his throat, grey-blue eyes flickering somewhere around their feet. “I wanted to apologize.”

Clara blinked. She…hadn’t been expecting that. “ _Apologize?_ ” She asked and she couldn’t help the incredulousness from creeping into her tone.

Bucky grimaced a little and glanced up at her through his lowered lashes and he really hoped his eyes didn’t look bloodshot at all. “Y-yeah, for l-leaving n’all.”

Clara’s lips parted and she was going to say something, surely. She didn’t know what but she was going to say _something_. He didn’t exactly give her the opportunity, however.

“I wanted to s-stay, really, I did,” He went on, voice small and she could only watch him in stunned silence and disbelief as he grasped his metal elbow, arm folded across his middle in such a self-conscious gesture as he whispered. “I just didn’t want you to see me cry.”

“What?” She whispered faintly, her expression falling and heart tripping over itself. Because what on _earth_ had made him _cry?_

Bucky dragged his gaze up from where it had fallen to look at a spot on the floor beside her and when he met her concerned blue orbs, he felt the tightness in his chest loosen. She wouldn’t judge him for this, he was certain.

“S-sometimes,” He started shakily. “Since I started just-“ He cleared his throat. “Reclaiming myself, I guess. I just-“ He shrugged lightly. “Sometimes I get emotionally… _overwhelmed_ ,” He explained. “And seeing you- _hearing-_ you play, h-had me-“ He had to suck in a sharp breath and let out it out in a slightly strained chuckle, embarrassed to hell and back. “Bawling like a baby, basically.”

“ _Bucky-_ “ She found herself whispering, cheeks warming at the sight of him looking so sweet and nervous, _embarrassed_ as he ran shaky fingers through his longer hair, now out of its neat bun.

“S-so yeah,” He managed, bobbing his head. “I’m sorry for leaving in a hurry but I was feeling r-really vu-vul-“ He cut himself off, unable to get anymore words out past the lump in his throat.

“Vulnerable,” She finished for him quietly and he nodded.

“F-for what it’s worth, I thought-I thought you played beautifully. I was so moved-“

“Moved to tears,” She murmured, a tiny bit of teasing lacing her words but he was smiling at her and she was smiling at him.

He didn’t say anything for a moment and after a second or two, she took a step closer to him and tentatively reached out to him, bumping the back of her hand lightly against his flesh hand. “ _Hey_.”

He met her gaze at that and she smiled at him kindly. “Just so you know,” She started quietly. “You don’t ever have to hide how emotional you’re feeling with me, Bucky. If-if my music brought you to tears-“

“Happy tears-“ He interrupted quietly, voice gruff.

She bit her lower lip and nodded lightly. “ _Happy tears_ ,” She agreed quietly. “Then you should know that just having you there, knowing you were there listening. It eased something in me to know that I had your support, that you w-wanted to be there…for me.”

“I did-“ He cleared his throat softly. “I do.”

Clara smiled up at him through long lashes and Bucky’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. “T-thank you, Bucky.”

He shook his head lightly and exhaled deeply. “It was no trouble and I-I just want you to know that I’d love to come with you next time and I promise I’ll stay.”

“Yeah?” She whispered, quiet and Bucky nodded, cheeks warming.

“Yeah.”

They were quiet for a moment and Bucky’s gaze flickered over her frame as she glanced away, his gaze snagging on those adorable suspenders. He had to take a measured breath and then another as she breathed in deeply, the rise and fall of her chest pulling her suspenders taut for but a moment.

“Do you want to come in?” She asked quietly, nervously. “I was going to make something to eat. I could fix us both up a late lunch, if you like?”

Bucky hesitated for a split second and then smiled shyly. “I’d be happy to, but only if you’ll let me help this time.”

She laughed lightly, that pretty blush intensifying. “Sounds good.”

Bucky hummed and nodded, closing the door behind him as he followed her into the apartment. “You know, I don’t think I’ve met anyone in this century that rock the suspenders look as well as you do.”

She laughed at that, startled by the complement and he couldn’t help his soft grin as she glanced down at herself, that pretty blush darkening and making her freckles pop.

It was easy after that, both comfortable and chatty, laughing together and cracking jokes as they worked in the kitchen. The rest of the afternoon passed easily and later that night when Bucky crawled into bed, a smile tugging at his lips and a warmth in his chest, he didn’t think he’d ever get used to this feeling.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I’m so sorry for the delay. I know it took me forever to update but I hope this longer one will be enough to tide you over for a bit. <3 I hope everyone has been safe over the holidays. Please stay healthy and safe. <3 Please.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter and I’m sorry if it’s a bit heavy. I updated tags so hopefully there’s not too many surprises. Xoxo Thanks for reading.

Three days later, Tony is a bit confused by the sight of Peter chatting with Clara in the hallway of the communal floor and carrying…an amp?

He watches in even more confusion as Clara shifts a black case, similar to her violin case only much newer, from one hand to the next. He pauses, cup of coffee raised to his lips as he watches Peter follow her along down the hallway and then duck into the library.

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, Sir?”

Tony pursed his lips slightly. “Should I be worried?”

“About Mr. Parker spending time with Miss Clara, Sir?”

Tony huffed but nodded. “Yes? Also, why are they going to the library and what the heck do they need an amp for?”

“I believe,” Jarvis started. “That Miss Clara ordered an electric violin and needed assistance in moving the accompanying amp somewhere where she wouldn’t bother others on her floor with the noise. I suggested she play in the library since it is so infrequently used and asked Mr. Parker to assist her.”

“Oh,” He said and dumbly at that. “They make electric violins?”

“They do, Sir.”

“Huh,” He mumbled, almost absently as he took a sip of his coffee. “Bet that sounds…interesting.”

“What sounds interesting?”

Tony jumped, sloshing hot coffee over the rim of his mug and onto the tile. “Jesus-“

“Sorry,” Clint offered, grimacing and Tony glowered at the man when he caught sight of Natasha and Bruce over the archer’s shoulder. “We just got back.”

Tony nodded, mopping up some of the spill with a dish towel the man tossed him. “It’s okay. Wasn’t expecting to see you guys back yet. How’d it go?”

“It was fine,” Bruce sighed and christ, but they looked dead on their feet. Even Nat.

He huffed softly and motioned towards the fridge. “There’s sandwiches from this afternoon’s luncheon. There was too much so help yourselves or I can order-“

“Sandwiches are fine, Tony,” Natasha hummed and Tony nodded, glancing over the three.

“There’s still coffee-“

“Mine,” Clint mumbled and Tony smiled at them softly and leaned back against the kitchen island as they busied themselves getting sandwiches.

Tony had forgotten all about having seen Peter and Clara, tired himself, until about ten-minutes later when the first notes of what he assumed was her new electric violin reached their ears.

“What’s that?” Clint blurted and Tony blinked.

“Clara, she bought a new violin-“

“Who’s Clara?” Bruce asked curiously and Tony paused.

“Oh, I-I forgot, you’ve not met her yet,” Tony started, turning to look down the hallway towards the library. “She’s a friend of Bucky’s.”

“What?” All three said in obvious disbelief and Tony had to laugh.

“Yeah, nice girl. She’s actually my new assistant too-“

“Hold on-“ Nat started and Clint made a curious sound. “Start from the beginning?”

So, Tony did. He told them about how Bucky had met her and what had transpired since then and when the sound of her playing in the library simply grew too irresistible to ignore, they grabbed fresh cups of coffee and a few extra sandwiches and headed towards the noise.

What they found, well, even Tony hadn’t been prepared for the sight that greeted them.

Because there was Clara, brow furrowed and jaw tense as she concentrated on the piece and if Tony’s ears weren’t mistaken, she was playing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. “Holy fuck-“ Came Clint’s quiet exclamation.

Tony blinked, because uh yeah, that about summed it up. “Wow,” Bruce whispered. “She’s-she’s really good.”

Tony merely blinked and watched then as Peter shifted from where he was seated on one of the oversized reading chairs watching Clara and met his gaze. He smiled at Tony, beamed more like and Tony smiled helplessly back.

He glanced to his left when the kid’s gaze flickered back to Clara and Natasha slipped up to stand beside him. “So, Bucky’s smitten?”

He huffed softly, gaze shifting back to watch as Clara moved as if she simply couldn’t help it, bending and swaying with the music as if pulled along by the very notes themselves. “You have no idea,” He murmured. “Never seen him so happy or so talkative. He’s like a different person.”

“Nah,” Nat murmured, a smile tugging at her mouth. “He’s simply finding himself again. We’ve just never seen the real him, you know?”

“Yeah,” Tony whispered, because that was true. Only Steve had ever seen the real Bucky and by all of the blond’s accounts, he was getting closer to finding himself even if he was different now.

He still had the heart of the old Bucky and Steve had vouched for him, would always vouch for him, so Tony knew they’d be closer to seeing the real him eventually.

They must have watched her play for a solid half an hour and while it wasn’t all that late, Tony thought the three would have headed off to bed by now, no doubt exhausted by their recent trip. But they’d merely made themselves comfortable at some of the tables in the lower part of the library while their gazes remained focused on Clara. Who was standing on the landing at the top of the stairs facing the floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto the grounds. Not that she was focused on the view, far too intent on her performance.

Speaking of which. It seemed to be coming to a close.

She was breathing a bit harder and Tony could tell she had probably worked up a bit of a sweat while she played and with just how long she’d been playing, he wasn’t all that surprised. He bit his lower lip and watched from his seat as she started to taper the song off, the notes fading and reverberating around the space. The library had great acoustics, who knew?

Of course she was startled as soon as she’d let loose the final note and then slowly lowered the violin and bow to her sides, when the group erupted into applause. Of course, she startled badly and Tony really should have warned them not to do that.

“Oh-“ She gasped, clearly surprised and even from this distance, he could tell she was blushing furiously within seconds.

Peter laughed at her startled expression and jumped up from his seat. “That was fantastic!”

Tony could only smile, proud and fond in equal measure as Peter started rambling and Clara came down the stairs to join the rest of them. There were introductions, even if they were a bit sleepy, they seemed genuinely happy to meet her and even went so far as to make promises to get together the next day for breakfast and a good chat.

Tony had watched and listened as his friends warmed to her instantly. Clara was a likeable young woman so he wasn’t all that surprised. Later that night when he climbed into bed beside an already sleeping Steve, the blond worn out from several hours of training with Bucky and Sam, Tony couldn’t keep his happy smile to himself and instead chose to press it against the blond’s neck with a quiet, think we did a good thing, Steve. Visiting her that day, that is.

Steve had hummed and smiled, burrowing beneath the covers and letting Tony hold him. “I think so too,” He murmured sleepily and Tony drifted off to sleep feeling more content than he’d been in maybe ever.

Making his friends, his family, happy. It’s all he’d ever wanted.

.

“Tony!” Clara laughed. “Would you stop it?” She was blushing hotly as she glanced between the man himself and his friend.

“Stop what?” He smirked, waggling his eyebrows as he turned his attention back to Rhodey. “I’m only telling him how it is.”

Rhodey’s laugh was indulgent and fond as he glanced between the pair and Clara huffed, still smiling, despite her embarrassment. “Well, you don’t need to be so-so-“

“Honest?” Rhodey offered and Clara guffawed.

“Oh wow,” She blurted. “I know we just met, but you are Trouble with a capital T aren’t you?”

Rhodey grinned, hands flying up in defence. “I’m friends with Tones for a reason-“

“That you are, honey bear!” Tony singsonged, throwing his arm around Rhodey’s shoulder and Clara laughed, shaking her head at the pair.

“It was really nice to meet you, Colonel Rhodes-“

“Rhodey, please,” He chuckled, smiling warmly at her. “And it was a pleasure to meet you too, Bucky is a lucky man.”

Clara huffed, cheeks absolutely on fire, because Tony had honestly not wasted a moment while introducing her to get in the fact that she was Bucky’s lady friend and that had been something she didn’t ever think she’d imagined being called before. She could only laugh at the phrasing then, but of course Tony had gone off on quite the spiel about her and her talents and their introduction had gone quickly from a pleasant hello, nice to meet you to oh, really, and how did you two meet?

Of course Tony had told him all about Bucky and the whole apartment fiasco and now that they’d made promises to head up to grab a bite for dinner together with Steve and Bucky shortly, she really did need to go and drop off the paperwork from Tony’s last meeting.

“I do need to drop this off, though, but I’ll meet you up on the common floor in a bit?”

“Of course,” Tony waved, squeezing Rhodey closer before dropping his arm. “We’re just going to pop into my office for a minute and then we’ll head up. Don’t take too long, food’s already on its way.”

“Got it!” She called, already taking a few steps back and adjusting her grasp on several of the folders in her arms. “I’ll see you both at dinner.”

Rhodey nodded, still smiling at her warmly and with one last quick wave, she was turning and walking towards the elevators. The office floor was nearly deserted, only half a dozen or so employees finishing up meetings before the weekend, the receptionist and Pepper floating around somewhere close by no doubt.

She was absently flipping through one of the files in her arms as she walked through the small lobby, heels clicking smartly across the tile, when she tripped over something and fell. Hard.

She gasped and let out a soft cry as she fell to the tile. Her nylon clad knee slid against the floor and she hissed as she went down hard, catching herself but only barely with her left hand. Her hip smacked down against the cool floor and she gasped again and winced sharply at the pain that radiated up her side.

She belatedly realized that her phone had slipped from where she’d had it tucked into her blouse between her skin and bra, clattering to the floor and no doubt shattering the screen. The files she’d been carrying had fallen in a flurry of paper, but at least most of it remained in their respective folders, a fact she was more than relieved by. She’d spent ages sorting through those contracts.

“Ooh, that looked like it hurt,” Came an all too familiar voice.

Clara inhaled so sharply it sounded as if she were wheezing with the shock of it. Her eyes flew open from where she’d momentarily closed them to collect herself, wondering what in the hell she’d tripped over in the first place. Fortunately or unfortunately, she didn’t have to wonder any longer.

She pushed herself up into more of a sitting position, despite the pain it caused her, and looked over her shoulder to see Brock fucking Rumlow sitting in one of the reception waiting area chairs; legs spread, suit jacket undone, tie loosened, hair greased and an abhorrently smug grin plastered on his ugly face.

“You always were a clumsy broad,” He sighed, tsking at her and she knew the panic, the fear must be showing on her face, plain as day even, but she couldn’t do a thing to hide it. “But at least now I know where you’ve run off to.”

“I didn’t run anywhere,” She found herself whispering in her defence, more on auto pilot than anything, but her voice was too quiet, too unsure, too shaky.

And like a shark that picked up the scent of blood in the water-

“Like hell you didn’t, you little slut. I saw you flirtin’ with Stark after that meeting, his friend too, even. How surprised do you think I was, finding you here when I was just comin’ in to pitch a new deal to his dumb blonde of a secretary? Shouldn’t be, I mean, it’s Tony Stark. He’s got money, yeah? Bet you’d do just about anything for a buck. I bet you get down on your knees for him too, sweetheart. Hope he’s giving you what you really need, because you and I both know what you really need is a good fu-“

“Excuse me,” Tony interrupted sharply, startling not only Clara, but clearly Brock as well.

His deep brown eyes were fixed on Brock with a dark intensity and oh fuck, how much had he heard?

“Mr. Stark!” Brock crowed, face lighting up despite his momentary startle and Clara could only watch in horror as he stood up abruptly, not even bothering to adjust his tie or button his jacket. She could tell Tony noticed, but the sneer slowly starting to form on his face was probably from more than simply Brock’s appearance.

His disgust was quickly morphing into careful concern when his gaze fell to where Clara was still lying sprawled on the tiled floor and she knew she must be a sight; nylons torn, skin bruised and probably broken at her knees. Her arm was smarting pretty badly and her hip was positively aching.

“Are you all right, Clara?” He asked and yeah, okay, he was definitely concerned, but there was also something dark lying beneath his words and she knew it wasn’t being directed at her and yet it made her want to shiver all the same.

“I’m fine,” She found herself whispering, attempting to push herself up, only to have Brock start to talk over her and at the same time, take a step towards her.

“Of course she’s fine!” He cried and before Clara realized what was happening, he was reaching for her. “She’s a clumsy thing, but I’m sure you know that by now. Bet she’s keeping you on your toes-“

She flinched bodily away from him but he wasn’t deterred, merely grabbed her upper arm instead of offering a hand like a normal person would. However, no sooner did he grab her, did Tony intervene.

“Let her go, Rumlow.”

Clara instantly tensed, wincing in the next moment when Brock’s hand tightened before letting her go abruptly, nearly shoving her away from him. She couldn’t withhold the grimace of pain as she was once again forced to catch herself from hitting the floor. She belatedly realized that Rhodey had stepped into view and was attempting to get to her. He paused, however, when Tony stayed him with a careful movement of his hand, gaze flickering between his friend and Brock.

Brock scoffed, shrugging as if it were no big deal, stepping back a bit from her as Tony himself stepped in, in an attempt to put himself between them. “I was only going to help her up-“

“I don’t think she requires your help, Rumlow,” He said carefully, gaze flickering to where Clara was shifting and slowly attempting to get to her feet. He offered her his hand and although Clara knew she could get up on her own, even if it would hurt a bit, she was more than happy to accept Tony’s help.

“Thank you,” Clara murmured, placing her shaking hand in his and did her very best to ignore just how much it was trembling.

He didn’t say anything, gaze flickering over her features before he gently squeezed her hand and helped her to her feet.

“Oh come on, Tony-“

Tony’s gaze turned cold as he snapped it to where Rumlow had taken a step closer to them. “I think you’d best be on your way, Mr. Rumlow. Your meeting with Pepper finished an hour ago, did it not?”

“Well, yeah, but I was hoping to catch you-“

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time. My office will be in touch with you on Monday and as it were, we have dinner plans to get to, don’t we, Clara?” He asked, all of his attention now fixed on the young woman.

“Yes, M-Tony, we do,” She agreed.

Tony’s gaze shifted back to Brock with a raised eyebrow. “So you’d best be on your way, Mr. Rumlow.”

Brock blinked, clearly confused about being shut down so quickly but he found himself nodding slowly. “Of course, Tony-“

“Mr. Stark, to you,” Rhodey corrected and Clara did not miss the way Tony’s eyes sharpened that much more as he stared Brock down, nor did she miss the way Brock barely managed not to splutter at the correction.

“Right, Mr. Stark,” He murmured, confused and more than a bit put off by the exchange.

“Great-“ Tony announced, motioning towards the elevators. “On your way then, I’m sure Mr. Rumlow Senior will be looking forward to hearing your update on how the meeting went.”

Brock nodded, clearing his throat as he adjusted his jacket. “Yes, of course. I look forward to working with you-“

“Awful presumptuous of you,” Rhodey mumbled and Clara had a surge of fondness for the man she’d only just met, because yeah, right, Tony was definitely not going to be working with Rumlow Incorporated if he had anything to say about it.

Brock didn’t hear him, Tony having turned his back on the man and dismissing him entirely and although Brock was clearly starting to look disgruntled, Tony wasn’t worried, not when he heard the annoyed huff from the man and retreating footsteps as his full attention turned to Clara.

She was distinctly uncomfortable and Tony realized absently that he was still holding her hand after helping her up. He let go and worriedly looked her over as she seemed to curl in on herself, wrapping her slender arms around her middle. She wouldn’t meet his gaze nor Rhodey’s and as soon as he heard the elevator ding and the doors quickly close behind them, did he bring himself to speak.

“Are you all right, Clara?”

She nodded and shrugged stiltedly and somehow managed to do so at the same time and Tony tried not to grimace at the sight. “I’m fine,” Was her automatic response, her gaze flickering along the floor and the guilty expression that overtook her features then had Tony momentarily confused; until she took a shaky step away from him and knelt down gingerly to pick up her phone.

It was definitely broken, Tony could see the scattered pieces of the screen on the floor and he frowned. “Leave that, you’ll cut yourself-“

“I-I’m fine, Tony. I’m so sorry I broke it-“

Tony wanted to laugh and cry out in anger and the sad little noise Rhodey made beside him made him rethink his knee-jerk reaction. “You weren’t the one to break it,” He assured her. “It wasn’t your fault, but hey, leave it. I’ll get someone to clean it up and I’ll ask Pep to bring those contracts over-“

“I can do it,” She interrupted, voice wobbly. “I can still take them to-“

“No,” Tony said firmly and grimaced when she flinched at his harsh tone. “Just-leave them, leave the phone, come with me.”

She was shaking so badly right there on the floor and Tony knew there were several staff members watching, curious and concerned and he wondered if anyone had witnessed the whole thing. He was pretty certain that Brock had tripped her but they’d only just come upon them during Brock’s rant, Clara already sprawled on the floor.

She nodded and got to her feet, Tony having tried to reach out to her, only to have her flinch away from him with a soft apology and a quiet, don’t. Tony didn’t say anything, merely motioned her towards his office. She was reluctant to move it seemed, face pale and eyes downcast, they looked bright with unshed tears and Tony’s heart broke a little when she finally made a break for the office, a tear falling to her cheek.

Rhodey was quietly asking a staff member to see to the phone cleanup while another worker gathered up the paperwork with the promise to deliver them to Pepper and no sooner was the promise made, did Rhodey send a worker to contact security to assure that Mr. Rumlow left the building. A moment later he was following both Tony and Clara into the office, closing the door behind them.

Clara made no move to sit or anything and merely curled in on herself more and refused to meet Tony’s gaze. Tony really didn’t like that.

“Sit down a sec, would you? Your knee is bleeding. Rhodey, would you grab the first aid kit under the sink?”

“I’m fine,” She tried to protest but it fell on deaf ears, Tony’s stern look making her practically wither in place before she sat down on the sofa near the coffee table.

Tony shrugged out of his jacket and dropped it over the back of one of the chairs before rounding the small table. He gestured to the spot next to her. “Is it okay for me to sit here?”

Clara shifted uncomfortably for a moment but nodded, gaze flickering towards him when he settled down beside her, a respectable distance away.

“Let me see your knee?”

Clara huffed but shifted, drawing her skirt up a bit and grimacing when she looked down at the state of her nylons. They were ripped, pretty badly even and there was actually a fair amount of blood and yeah, not exactly pretty. It ached more than anything, having slammed down pretty hard on it. Come to think of it, her hip and arm were smarting too. She frowned and absently rubbed at her hip.

Tony noticed the movement but didn’t say anything, merely let his gaze linger on her knee for a moment longer before Rhodey came over with the first aid kit. Tony took it from him and asked him to fetch her a glass of water, despite her weak protests.

“Look,” Tony started and then cleared his throat and softened his tone when she tensed up beside him. “I know you keep saying you’re fine, but you’re clearly not. Seeing that douchebag obviously upset you and you took a nasty fall that I’m 99.9% sure he was the cause of.”

Clara didn’t say anything but her expression turned pinched and Tony nodded. “Right, so-“ He huffed, pulling out something to clean up the wound with. “I’m not going to lie to you and say we didn’t hear what he said, Clara. That wouldn’t be fair to you-“ At this, she tried to shy away from him, her body language screaming,let me leave. “But we heard it and now some things are starting to make sense to me.”

Clara frowned and twisted her hands in her lap uncomfortably.

“Like how badly you flinch when I reach out to you sometimes or how much you wince when there’s raised voices. Not to mention how easily you startle. You told me that you’re safe now, so, I’m going to ask you and you’re going to tell me the truth,” He breathed. “Was Rumlow the one who was hurting you? Is he the only one that hurt you?”

She nodded stiltedly, closing her eyes and turning her head away. “He-when I started working for him, t-there was a project I was put in charge of that didn’t turn out the way he wanted. It-it wasn’t my fault,” She breathed, nearly pleading in her intensity. “He told me he should fire me, s-said some nasty things about me but I needed the job so badly, I-I told him I’d do anything to keep my job and-“ She shook her head, finally bringing herself to look at Tony properly, meeting his gaze.

“He took advantage of you,” He finished for her, already shaking his head, clear disgust written in his eyes. She tried very hard not to let herself think that some of that disgust might be for her.

“What a fucking-“ Rhodey started, but Tony shot him a look and his friend exhaled harshly and scrubbed a hand over his face, setting down the glass of water he’d brought over for her on the table between them.

“It w-was only the o-once,” She whispered. “But he lashed out at me a few times after, w-whenever I made a mistake or h-he was just a-angry, took it out on me and I-“ She wanted to whimper but swallowed it back. “I let him. I couldn’t afford to lose my j-job, Tony. Y-you have to understand-I-“

“I do,” Tony assured her, but he was frowning. “I do understand, but it wasn’t right, Clara. What he did to you-“ He shook his head. “He knew you were in a bad spot, he exploited that. Abuse: emotional, psychological, physical, sexual-“ He growled. “He abused you, Clara. You could file charges, you still could file-“

“No! Please, I-“ She did whimper then. “Please don’t make me do that. I w-would have to tell people what ha-happened and I can’t, Tony. I wouldn’t w-win, I-“

She was growing frantic in her desperation to make Tony understand and he hated it. He hushed her gently, reaching out and catching her hands in his, cupping and squeezing them lightly. “It’s okay, Clara. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, no one will. Okay? I promise,” He swore and she nodded, swaying into his touch and letting her tears fall.

Tony shook his head, a deep frown marring his features as he let go of her hands after a moment to reach for some tissues on the coffee table. He gave them to her and sighed, turning back to cleaning up the wound on her knee.

“I’m sorry that happened to you, darling,” Tony murmured, voice quiet as he tended to her.

Clara shrugged lightly, face blotchy with colour and wet with her fallen tears. No matter how much she wiped at them, she couldn’t seem to get rid of them all. Probably because she was still crying, unable to stop, it seemed.

“I d-don’t exactly have the best track record f-for-“ She shrugged. “You know.”

Tony blinked, sitting back a bit as he finished up with her knee. “What do you mean?”

Clara frowned, still swiping at her tears ineffectually. “I was abused when I was younger, by my father’s business partner,” She whispered quietly. “It’s why we fled Romania.”

Tony blinked and then blinked again. Because what?

“I’m sorry, what?”

That was Rhodey this time round and she grimaced, her bright gaze flickering to the man before focusing back on Tony, the man clearly waiting for more of an explanation himself. “I-“

“Wait-“ Tony blurted. “You don’t have to tell us, Clara. It’s none of our business, but we’re here to listen, if you want to share.”

Clara blinked, her gaze softening as she nodded. “I’ve never r-really talked about it before,” She confessed.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” He promised her and she looked away, worrying at her lower lip.

“I do-“ She paused to swallow thickly. “Want to talk about it, that is. I just-“ She shrugged lightly and looked down at her hands now folded in her lap, toying with the smushed tissues in her grasp.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” Rhodey suggested gently, settling himself down in one of the office chairs.

She nodded, blowing out a slow breath. “O-okay,” She agreed, voice quiet. She couldn’t help blinking a few times to try and clear the fog of tears that still lingered at the edge of her vision. “My family was very wealthy, well off. My f-father had a business partner that I’d not met. He always asked that I stay out of his office and out of sight when he visited. It was rare that he did, but I always knew not to get in their way.”

She shrugged lightly. “I never asked why, but I listened to him and t-then one day. I-it was my twelfth birthday and I’d just-“ She exhaled shakily. “I’d finally managed to learn how to play the final part of my mum’s favourite composition. I was so excited,” She whispered. “I didn’t know he was visiting and I ended up running off to find my da,” She confessed, wiping at an errant tear. “I interrupted them and the look on my da’s face-“

She shook her head for a moment, unable to continue until Tony reached out to her with another tissue. “He looked terrified and I didn’t know why, not at the time. But Domenic, M-Mr. Kovick,” She corrected. “He was so happy to see me. He asked me to play the piece I’d been excited to share and with mum’s violin already in hand, I didn’t think I had a choice and I wanted to show my da, so-“ She shrugged.

“I played for them and my da asked me afterwards to leave. He wasn’t mean about it, just asked me to go find my mum and play for her. So, I left,” She frowned, looking back down at her hands folded in her lap. “After that, our family was invited to Mr. Kovick’s home several times a week and every time, father and mother would look at me with such sadness. I didn’t understand it then, not until much later.”

“Mr. Kovick, he started asking me to come to his home by myself and the first couple of times, my father strongly insisted that I not go alone, but one night, when I’d kindly refused the offer, Mr. Kovick had shown up at our home and demanded that I play for him there and then, alone.”

Tony shook his head, brows pinched. He didn’t like any of this.

“I played the piano for him a number of times after that, but he preferred listening to me play the violin,” She shrugged lightly. “It wasn’t so bad, at first. I didn’t mind playing, it was practice but then he started asking me to sit with him and after a while, I started to notice things more. The way he would look at me, watch me. It always made me feel uncomfortable, but when he started to-touching…”

Tony made a soft noise and she had to look at him then, unable to resist. She could see the concern there, the shock. “I knew he was being inappropriate, I knew it was wrong and I was so ashamed and t-the touches weren’t a-anything but over my clothes, but it was still so wrong, I knew it was. I tried to shy away from him and he-you have to understand,” She murmured. “He was a very powerful man and I-I knew that, just from the way my father spoke of him, my mother too. I felt like I couldn’t refuse his advances and I was so relieved that he never tried to do anything m-more-“ She looked away uncomfortably. “Explicit, I guess.”

“It was still wrong,” Tony breathed. “You were so young, you could not have consented-“

“I know that, Tony, I do,” She interrupted gently. “But I didn’t want my parents to worry and I-I was so ashamed. I didn’t tell them but I think they suspected. But I refused to tell them, no matter how many times they asked if I was alright.”

“I wasn’t, but I knew there was nothing they could do,” She shook her head. “It’s not like it mattered, in the end.”

“I don’t understand,” Tony admitted, confused. “If you had told them, surely they would have reported him.”

Clara laughed but there was no humour in it. “He practically owned the police. He was a powerful man,” She admitted shakily. “It wasn’t until he told my father he wanted to marry me on my fifteenth birthday, that we realized just how powerful.”

Tony’s brows were pinched but she didn’t see it, too busy staring down at her hands where she was now white knuckling the hem of her skirt, crinkling it terribly. “My father outright refused and-“ Her breath hitched and her next words were filled with emotion as tears welled up in her eyes. “He raped and murdered my mother, he made my father watch w-while I hid in my room. I didn’t-I couldn’t-“

“Clara-“ Tony whispered, his voice hoarse. He was appalled, seeing this woman so broken open before him, what she’d been through. He shook his head, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

“We fled, t-that night. My father smuggled me out of the house under the guise of going to my grandmother’s where he’d lied and said I’d been visiting. We took nothing save for some clothes, jewelry, my m-mother’s violin and my da’s cello.” She shook her head, wiping quickly at her tears. “We never looked back.”

“I’m so sorry, Clara, so, so sorry,” Tony whispered.

She shook her head and looked down at her hands and the crumpled tissues in her grasp, her creased skirt and newly bandaged knee. “It’s in the past now. W-what happened, happened, but at l-least now you know w-why I-why I-“ She couldn’t seem to finish whatever she was going to say and instead dropped her face into her hands, a broken sound escaping her as she did so.

“Oh, Clara,” Tony whispered, beyond devastated that such a kindhearted woman had gone through so much horror.

“I’m sorry,” She whispered, voice slightly slurred from her tears. “I k-know you didn’t need to hear all that, b-but I-“

“Don’t apologize,” He interrupted softly, reaching out when she lifted her head to grasp her hands in his, tugging them away from her flushed face. “There’s no reason for you to apologize. What happened to you was no fault of your own, darling,” He assured her, squeezing her hands in emphasis.

She hiccuped on her next breath and Tony’s gaze softened before flickering down to her arm. She had a tear in her blazer under her arm, the seam split when she most likely reached out to steady herself. He frowned and removed his hands from hers, motioning towards it.

“You’ve got a-“

“Oh-“ She huffed, shifting and raising her arm a bit when she realized what he was looking at.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” He prodded gently, watching as she fiddled with the hem of her blazer.

“Oh, I-“ She paused for a moment and Tony could see her mentally cataloguing her body and hoped she wasn’t too badly hurt. “M-my hip hurts a bit, but m-my arm is worse,” She admitted after a few moments.

Tony frowned and stood up, drawing her gaze along with him. “Why don’t you take off that blazer and I’ll get you some ice.”

Somehow she didn’t think it was a suggestion so much as an order and when he left to fetch the aforementioned ice, her gaze flickered to where Colonel Rhodes was watching her with an expression she felt compelled to break.

“I’m all right,” She told him quietly but when he merely shook his head and exhaled harshly, she didn’t know what to make of him right then.

“Somehow, you are. Can’t say that I would be, having gone through something like that,” He confessed quietly and Clara could do nothing but blink in response.

They were interrupted a moment later when Tony returned with an ice pack. He was not impressed with the fact that she hadn’t removed her blazer. “Come on, it’s just me, Clara,” He murmured, glancing to Rhodey. “I can make him leave, if you want.”

“No, th-that’s-“ She huffed and wiped away an errant tear before shrugging out of her blazer with quick and sure movements. “It can’t be all that bad,” She tried and Tony huffed in response.

However, Tony and Rhodey were quickly hissing in sympathy when she dropped the blazer down beside her and they got a proper look at her arm, bare thanks to the lace camisole she wore. It was bruised, clearly. The skin irritated and inflamed, already turning dark with what was sure to be horribly mottled bruises.

“Oh, Clara,” Tony found himself whispering. He could see the ring of bruises around her upper arm where Rumlow had grabbed her for but an instant and somehow managed to squeeze her hard enough to leave imprints in her tender flesh.

“I-it’s not-it isn’t-“

“If you say, not that bad,” Rhodey interrupted. “I think Tony and I are going to go after that asshole.”

She made a soft sound at that and Tony let out a heavy exhale as he sat down on the coffee table in front of her this time instead of the sofa beside her, forcing her to look at him head on. He held out the ice pack to her and she eyed it for a moment before taking it with a quiet, thank you, pressing it lightly to her arm. He couldn’t help but notice how she cradled her elbow and then winced at the action. She was clearly sporting a bruise there too.

He tried very hard not to baby her like he so clearly wanted to. He was going into full on mother hen mode and she wasn’t going to stand a chance if he set his mind to coddling and consoling her right then. Thankfully, he thought better of it, recognizing that she probably had just about enough of touch today, even the good kind.

He could see her shying away from him, even if she probably wasn’t conscious of the fact she was doing it in the first place. Just putting that little bit of extra distance between them as she turned sideways on the sofa, tucking her legs up against the front of the cushions and away from the heat of his own legs so close.

He outwardly sighed and tried not to sound too disappointed as he tipped his head to the side and observed her. When she finally dragged her gaze up from the bruising on her arm where she’d settled the ice pack to, he let out a quiet huff of a breath.

“I’m sorry you had to go through what you did, Clara. Truly, I am,” He shook his head, brows pinching up. “But you are so strong and you should know that we’re here for you in whatever way you’ll let us and I’m not speaking of just me and Rhodey here. I’m speaking about the Team, Steve and Bucky, included.”

She let out a curious sort of wounded noise, her eyes widening in fear and it set Tony instantly on edge, because what-

“You can’t tell Bucky-“ She gasped and the pleading desperation was suddenly back in those gorgeous steel blue orbs. “You can’t tell Bucky, please, Tony. H-he can’t know-“

“He can’t know what?” Came the unexpectedly soft voice from the doorway.

Clara flinched so hard her bandaged knee smacked against Tony’s and he winced in sympathy when she choked back an uncomfortable noise. He couldn’t help himself and turned to look over his shoulder to where Clara’s gaze was pinned; her wide-eyed terrified gaze focused on Bucky.

Bucky was standing just inside the door with Steve standing not a foot behind him, both carrying Starbucks cups. They’d brought them coffee. Tony wanted to cry because he was pretty sure Clara was about to break down.

“B-Bucky-“ She started, voice strained and taut with tension and strangled with emotion. “I c-can exp-plain,” She practically whimpered and Tony watched as Bucky’s brows drew together, clear concern warring with his apprehension.

But Tony disagreed. While she could explain everything to Bucky right this moment, he didn’t think she wanted to. “Just a minute,” Tony whispered, voice gentle when Clara’s gaze snapped to him and then back over Tony’s shoulder. “You don’t owe anyone an explanation, Clara. Not right now, not ever,” He assured her and when she merely blinked at him in confusion, Tony let out a soft sigh.

“But I-“

“No but’s,” He interrupted gently. “But maybe you can let me explain why you’re sitting here with a few bumps and bruises.”

She stared at him for a long moment before swallowing thickly and nodding. Tony didn’t waste any time.

He calmly explained the situation without revealing too much of what she had revealed to them. They didn’t need to know any of it unless she was ready to tell them herself. All they knew was that she’d had a run in with someone she used to know and he’d been escorted from the building after he’d tripped her. Steve had looked about ready to go after the man, law be damned, but it was Bucky’s expression that had them all slightly worried.

His face had remained carefully blank during the entire explanation. From the moment Tony had turned to address them and explain, Bucky had just...shut down in that eerie way of his, and no one was entirely comfortable with that. Not one bit.

“What uh-“ Steve cleared his throat slightly and Tony couldn’t ignore the way his hand clenched a little around the cup in his grasp. Tony realized he was in jeopardy of losing his coffee to Steve’s anger. So, he did the only thing he could think of and reached out to coax Steve to relax his grip on the liquid gold and gently remove it from his grasp.

When Steve merely blinked at him and then exhaled harshly, Tony couldn’t help but shoot him a small smile. “What I was trying to ask,” Steve started again. “Was what you said his name was, again?”

Tony fixed his boyfriend-jeeze, wasn’t that fun-with a flat look. “We didn’t,” He shut down and rolled his eyes when Steve huffed in annoyance but conceded...for the moment.

“He won’t be working with Tony, that’s for sure,” Rhodey sighed, arms folded across his chest.

Tony hummed in agreement and Steve let out a heavy exhale, his gaze flickering to where Clara was still sitting with the ice pack pressed to her upper arm. He still hadn’t seen the bruise yet. But he had seen the bandage on her knee, her torn blazer and nylons and the bruise she was trying to cover at her elbow with the palm of her hand. His eyes narrowed when she caught him looking and tucked her elbow down out of sight.

“I’m fine, really,” She assured, voice nothing but a whisper. It was the most she’d spoken since Tony had told her to let him explain.

Her gaze flickered to where Bucky was standing, only a few feet into the room, still holding both Starbucks cups in his grasp and how he hadn’t crushed either of them, Tony didn’t fucking know.

He was still watching Clara with that same blank expression and it was starting to make Tony uncomfortable. More-so on Clara’s behalf. Though, Clara didn’t seem too perturbed by the expression-er-or lack-there-of.

Before Tony could try and say something, anything, to try and break Bucky’s blank expression, maybe crack a joke to lighten the mood, he was breaking it for them.

“Are you hungry?” Came Bucky’s gruff voice and even if his expression remained neutral, his voice betrayed his obvious concern.

Clara blinked, clearly not having expected the question. But when her eyes cleared and expression softened, Tony realized she’d seen right through it. She nodded in lieu of speaking and Bucky nodded too, short and sharp.

“We ordered sushi,” He said gruffly, cocking his head slightly as his gaze flickered towards the door. “Come have dinner with us.”

Clara’s lips parted and she blinked before whispering a quiet, okay.

Tony watched then as Clara got to her feet, still holding the ice pack against her arm, hiding the worst of the bruising as she plucked her ruined blazer from the sofa beside her. She shot him a glance and motioned towards the others who were now hovering by the door.

He sighed and stood, at least grateful they were moving somewhere, even if the conversation had paused for the time being.

Rhodey was the first to leave the office, Tony and then Steve to follow when Clara refused to go ahead of them. She had wanted to sneak out behind the small group, hoping to go unnoticed in case there were any employees still around.

Unfortunately, Bucky wasn’t about to let her.

She exhaled shakily when she felt a warmth at her back and with how close he was standing, she swore she could feel the warmth of his breath over her bared shoulder. She resisted the urge to shiver and that was before Bucky leaned into her space just enough for her to catch sight of him out of her peripheral.

“Come on, doll,” He murmured, voice hushed, quiet. “Let’s go get you settled and comfortable and I know you’re hungry, wouldn’t want that sushi to go to waste.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “O-okay,” She agreed quietly and let herself be guided out of the office, relieved to note that there were no other employees still lingering in the lobby.

They made their way to their personal floor and while Bucky told her to join them in his and Steve’s apartment when she was ready, she wasn’t quite ready for Bucky to leave her, not without speaking to him properly first.

“Bucky?” She called softly, standing in the doorway of her temporary apartment, watching the brunet start to walk away. He stilled and tilted his head in her direction to let her know he was listening. “W-would you come in? Just for a minute?”

How could he say no?

He followed her into the apartment and belatedly realized he was still holding onto the two cups of coffee. He huffed, annoyed with himself. “I’m sorry, your latte is probably lukewarm by now.”

Clara blinked and glanced down at the cups in his hands. She smiled at him. “I’m sure it’s still fine and if it’s a bit cool, I’ll just warm it up in the microwave. Was um, was sweet of you to bring me a coffee.”

Bucky huffed and mumbled something along the lines of, it’s not the same, which Clara bit her lip to keep from huffing a soft laugh at. He wasn’t wrong.

He cleared his throat slightly. “W-what uh-“ He shifted awkwardly. “What did you want me to come in for?”

Clara exhaled shakily and turned to face him properly after having dropped her blazer onto the sofa. “I wanted to apologize to you.”

“For what?” He found himself blurting, beyond confused as to why she was apologizing.

“For not wanting to tell you what happened, w-what I’ve been through,” She confessed.

Bucky’s brows pinched up, confused and concerned in equal measure. “You don’t owe me-“

She barked out a surprised laugh at that and it startled Bucky into silence for a moment. “You are so wrong about that, but uh-“ She huffed and looked away towards the floor to ceiling windows simply for something other than his handsome face to look at. “The reason I didn’t want to tell you was because I’m ashamed of t-the abuse I let myself fall victim to.”

“Clara-“

“Let me finish, please,” She whispered, looking back to him for a moment to hold his gaze. When she knew she had his attention and he didn’t seem to be keen on interrupting her again, she looked back out the windows, the evening sky already darkened by the fading sun. “I know I was a victim, but I let myself be hurt, let myself be used in such a way and I-“ She shook her head and let out a deep sigh. “I didn’t want you to look at me any differently. Didn’t want you to look at me and see how weak I am, how broken.”

Bucky was struck speechless. He was not, however, struck motionless. In what felt like an instant, he was across the room, coffees abandoned on the entryway table and gaze firmly trained on Clara, soaking up that wide-eyed grey blue storm rolling behind her eyes.

“Look at who you’re talking to,” He managed, voice hoarse and expression open and so goddamn vulnerable in that moment.

Clara wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him in the fiercest hug she could manage but the thought of touching, of being touched, was almost too much right then. She inhaled shakily and breathed in the scent of him.

Bucky shook his head, dark eyes wide open and soul bared to her. “I was afraid you would look at me differently one day, see who I am, realizewhat I am and you-“ He exhaled harshly. “You’re wrong, Clara. You are not broken or-or weak,” He practically spat, emotions getting the better of him. “You are so strong, Clara, stronger than most, stronger than m-“

“No-“ She whispered, interrupting him. “I am not stronger than you and you-you aren’t that person anymore, you know that you’re not. The whole goddamn world knows you’re not,” She breathed, with so much conviction behind her words.

Bucky’s brows pinched as he shook his head slowly. He’d been told that. Many, many times before and while he was still struggling to believe it, he’d come a long way since the early days of his recovery and no longer aggressively denied it.

“I know who you are, Bucky,” She murmured, interrupting his spiralling thoughts. “I know who you are and I-“ She huffed softly, dropping the now warmed ice pack onto the table behind the sofa for a beat. “I like who you are, Bucky. I like you.”

Bucky’s breath caught and he found himself struggling not to take a step closer to her. “I-“ He got as far as and then just, froze up, unable to break her stare.

She huffed softly and while she knew she wasn’t ready to hug him right then, she couldn’t resist reaching out to comfort him. The backs of her knuckles lightly grazed his flesh and blood hand and he sucked in a sharp breath at the unexpected contact. When her gaze merely softened and her hand turned to lightly trail warm fingertips along the edge of his palm, he could do nothing more than stare at her.

The contact was fleeting, however, and no sooner did he feel the loss of that tender contact, was he reaching out to brush the back of his knuckles against hers in a similar act of comfort. The fact that she let him only proved to spread warmth through what felt like his whole being at such a simple touch.

“I like you too,” He managed, voice taut, choked and he watched her lips curl up into a small smile. He forced himself to clear his throat before speaking again. “If y-you ever want to talk about it, about-“ He shook his head. “Anything, just know I’ll be here to listen. But uh-“ He cleared his throat softly. “You should-you should go get washed up, I-I can wait for you, if you want.”

“Thank you, I-I do want to talk to you about it, maybe just not today,” She confessed, her smile still small, tentative.

Bucky merely nodded but when she turned to head presumably towards her room to get changed, Bucky’s gaze dropped to her arm and the horrible bruising there.

His next breath was noisy even to his own ears and when she realized what had caused it, her smile dimmed slightly, her gaze softening as she reached up in an attempt to cover the hand shaped bruise blooming over her olive skin.

“I’m okay, Bucky,” She tried to console but when Bucky’s gaze snapped up to hers, she found herself arrested by the intensity of that stare.

She didn’t move, didn’t even flinch when he stepped back into her space and calmly laid his metal hand over her arm, covering up the bruises and then some with the expanse of that one palm. She tried not to shiver beneath the careful touch, the metal a cool balm against the painful heat of the bruises there.

It was so light, so careful, his touch free of any pain and before she knew it, tears were welling up behind her eyes. She wasn’t sure who moved first, maybe it was her, maybe it was Bucky. Regardless, she found herself carefully cradled in Bucky’s arms, both wrapped gently around her and holding her protectively.

She let him hold her, her own hands clinging tightly to the front of his shirt, no doubt rucking it up and making a right mess of the fabric. Bucky didn’t seem to care, merely murmuring soft reassurances in her ear as she cried silently against the broad expanse of his chest. He was just so warm against her, around her. She trembled in his embrace and she exhaled shakily when he pressed his warm dry lips against her temple, a careful hand brushing some of her hair from her eyes.

“You’re alright,” He whispered tenderly, his breath warm against her ear, jostling her hair slightly. “You’re safe here.”

She believed him. She’d never believed anything so strongly before. She knew she was safe here. Here in this building, in this apartment. In his mismatched arms. She’d never felt so safe, so protected in her life. She never realized she could feel like this. She never realized that she’d always lived in some state of fear, some state of apprehension, knowing that something could hurt her at any moment and having no way to protect herself.

She bit back a whimper at the knowledge and let herself melt further into his warm embrace.

.

They eventually did make it to dinner. Clara changed out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable and then they both joined Steve, Tony and the others for sushi and a movie. After the movie finished around 8 o-clock, she quietly excused herself and while Bucky wanted to ask her to stay, he could see the exhaustion in her eyes, he could see the tightness around her mouth. She needed to be alone.

It didn’t stop him from telling her she didn’t have to be.

“Suntem aici, dacă aveți nevoie de ceva. Sunt aici,” He promised quietly, the Romanian feeling right on his tongue. [We’re here, if you need anything. I’m here.]

She believed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was that? <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, sorry, but I hope you like it. <3
> 
> Do yourself a favour and listen to Apocalyptica's Hall of the Mountain King. It's phenomenal. It'll really set the tone for this chapter, honestly. <3

“I can’t _believe_ you ran out of marshmallows,” Tony bemoaned.

Steve sighed, resisting the urge to hang his head as they got into the elevator. “I can, seeing as you tend to stuff at least three in your mouth before the hot chocolate is even finished warming.”

Tony scoffed and shoved Steve playfully, the blond not even having the good grace to go with his push. Tony scowled at him and Steve’s lips turned up in a cheeky smile. “I’m sure there are some in the kitchen,” He consoled.

Which is where they were currently headed so late in the evening. They’d just settled on a movie to watch and then went to make hot chocolate to go with some cookies Clara had made them the day before, when they realized they were out of marshmallows and really, what fun was hot chocolate without marshmallows?

“There better be,” Tony mumbled and Steve rolled his eyes.

The elevator’s soft ding alerted them to their arrival at the communal floor and no sooner did the doors open, barely a foot outside the lift, did they both freeze. There was music coming from down the hall.

They paused, brows furrowed as the notes fully registered. Clara was playing her electric violin.

“I-“ Steve paused, looking to Tony. “I thought she went to bed.”

“So did I,” He admitted and before either of them thought much about it, they were walking down the hallway towards the library.

Tony’s brows were furrowing before they’d even gotten close to the doorway. “Is that-?”

“ _In the Hall of the Mountain King?_ ” Steve finished for him, Tony’s curious noise making Steve look to him as they stopped just shy of the doorway.

“It-it sounds like it,” Tony admitted, worrying at his bottom lip. That was not an easy song to play and-and it sounded like she was just starting.

She wasn’t even playing any proper notes, well, that wasn’t entirely true. Tony decided he was done hiding and stepped through the door, stilling as soon as he’d done so.

Clara was plucking at the strings of her violin, only the faint beginnings of the song reaching their ears. It _definitely_ hadn’t picked up speed yet. But it was clear as day. She was playing _In the Hall of the Mountain King_ , one of the most recognizable classical pieces Tony was pretty sure to ever exist.

He frowned, staring across the expanse of the library to the stairs to a reading area where Clara had taken up residence. It seemed to be her new favourite place in the compound. She’d left her violin and amp here all week and he’d been told that she’d been down several times to play to her hearts content.

But he couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised to find her playing in the darkened library at 10 o-clock at night all on her lonesome, in her night clothes, no less. He blinked, feeling the warmth of Steve at his side, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the picture she made. Illuminated by the light of the Moon shining in through the windows, reflecting off the pond not far from the complex, she looked ethereal in her pale grey robe, the silk practically _shining_ in the low light.

Her hair was down, hanging in loose waves about her shoulders, still damp from a shower. Her eyes remained closed, brows drawn tightly together, lower lip caught between her teeth as she plucked steadily at the strings of her violin only to suddenly slip to passing the bow effortlessly across the strings, the first few drawn out notes nearly startling them with their volume, their pitch.

Steve gasped quietly beside him but Tony couldn’t tear his eyes away from the picture she made.

The song had picked up so quickly and it was building and building. Tony could feel it rising up within him, knowing what was coming, knowing how _difficult_ the rest of the song should be. _Should_ , being the operative word here.

She was _flying_ through the notes, bow sliding, fingers dancing along the fingerboard with an almost frantic intensity. And truly, that’s what it was. Because she’d far _surpassed_ the pace Tony himself was familiar with of the song and only seemed to be getting _faster_.

_Impossible_. Was his first thought. He’d never actually watched anyone play this song before but he was certain it was far faster than any version he’d ever heard of it. Not to mention hearing it on an electric violin seemed to bring it a life altogether different from anything he’d ever heard before.

He inhaled sharply in the next moment as the song reached its peak and Tony swore he could hear Steve swear softly beside him, in awe, most likely.

Clara was shifting where she stood, swaying into each and every note as if she couldn’t help herself. Tony was sure she put her mind body and _soul_ into every piece of music she played. Somehow, he was sure she wasn’t capable of doing anything less.

But Tony could see the strain in her, the tightness in her features, the anger and sadness, frustration, all warring in every muscle of her body. Even as the song came to an end, the final notes short and sharp, _final._

They watched in concern as she panted, dragging in deep lungfuls of air, her chest heaving with the energy she’d expended. Tony was startled into taking a step forward when she clutched her bow and violin to her breast and _shouted_ into the stillness of the library. A wordless cry filled with anguish and sorrow.

A soft noise was escaping Tony before he could help himself, but his steps were halted when Steve’s warm hand curled over his shoulder, stilling him. Tony wanted nothing more than to go to her, comfort her in any way she would let him. He wasn’t even sure _how_ he would even _begin_ to do that, but he felt like he _needed_ to. _Wanted_ to.

“Wait,” Steve whispered and Tony’s gaze flickered towards the book cases up in the reading nook, to where Steve had inclined his head.

“Oh,” He found himself breathing, shocked to see _Bucky_ standing in the shadows, the glint of metal catching the light of the Moon as he shifted and started towards Clara.

She had her back to him, but Tony was sure she knew he was there when he saw her tip her head slightly to her right. Perhaps Bucky had made a sound, maybe they’d been here together for the last few hours. They didn’t know. Bucky had disappeared about two hours ago to go for a walk, maybe hit the gym, or so he’d said.

They watched as Bucky stepped up behind her but made no move to speak to her nor touch her. She was still breathing heavily and Tony was sure he could see her chest hitching with quiet sobs.

Not a moment later, was Bucky flicking off the amp nearby and tentatively reaching out to take her bow and violin from her grasp. She let him take it from her, her arms having dropped to her sides and Tony watched as Bucky deposited her instrument on one of the reading chairs beside them.

He seemed to hesitate, however, when he turned back to her, her back still to him before he inhaled deeply and timidly reached out to brush the backs of his flesh and blood fingers against hers.

Her hand twitched and then she was turning around and looking up at him with tears shimmering in her grey-blue eyes and Bucky was powerless then when she practically collapsed against him, into his open arms. He held her, cradled her protectively and they could see him shift and then suddenly he was moving and picking her up in a bridal carry.

They both realized that they’d probably overstayed their welcome, if they’d been welcomed at all, and quickly turned and left the quiet of the library. They didn’t say anything to one another as they hastily made their way back up to their floor, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It was as they were slipping into the apartment and closing the door as silently as possible, that Bucky and Clara came out of the elevator together.

Tony pulled out his phone as they stood by the door and pulled up the security feed of the hallway and they _both_ watched as Bucky carried Clara past their doorway and slipped in to her apartment. They also couldn’t help but notice that Clara had tucked herself up against Bucky’s neck, her face practically _buried_ against him.

Tony blinked down at the screen dumbly and when they disappeared into Clara’s apartment, he locked the screen and looked up at Steve.

“Well, then,” Steve breathed and Tony made a soft noise of agreement. Because _yeah_ , what the hell do you say after that?

Apparently Tony knew just the thing.

“My marshmallows,” He said, forlornly and Steve let out a quiet huff of air.

“C’mon, love. I think I’d like to call it a night.”

Tony nodded, feeling very much tired now himself. “Yeah, okay,” He agreed and let Steve coax him towards his bedroom.

.

Bucky had never seen anything so tragic and beautiful all in one breath. Witnessing Clara lose herself in her music, the aggressiveness of her movements, the _desperation_ in them-

He shook his head, pressing his lips against her temple in a kiss he couldn’t resist as he carried her into her apartment. She was quiet in his arms now, her face tucked against his throat, her soft puffs of breath warming his bared skin where his t-shirt didn’t quite reach.

She was barely conscious, sleep tugging at her from all directions and the _warmth_ she felt, tucked safely in Bucky’s arms. _Both_ of them.

She exhaled shakily and melted somehow even further into his embrace as he carried her into her bedroom. The lights came up only a little, dimmed right down, lighting up the space as much as necessary for them to make it over to the bed safely.

Bucky carefully lowered her to the mattress after pulling back some of her blankets. He detached her arms from around his neck to tuck them over her middle gently and swiftly pulled her covers back over her so she’d stay warm.

He left her in her robe, the tie having come loose enough to show what she wore beneath. The robe was made of satin and it shimmered with each movement they made as he’d carried her. Her darker blue camisole and matching shorts were seemingly made of the same material, though somehow lighter.

He tried very hard to ignore the way he could see her nipples, hardened from the air that rushed between them as he laid her down, and knew he would remember it anyway.

He swallowed thickly and tucked the blankets up over her shoulders, making sure she was comfortable and warm. _Safe._

When his gaze flickered up to check on her, he found her face slack with exhaustion, her lashes open only so much as to let him see a smidge of the blue hiding beneath. He knew she was watching him.

“Get some sleep, Clara,” He found himself whispering, ignoring the gruffness of his voice as it filled the space between them.

She shivered a little at the sound, her lashes fluttering before her eyes opened further to pin him with a look he could not decipher.

It was open but instead of showing her vulnerability right then, something he had expected to see reflected in her eyes, all he could see was warmth. It radiated towards him and he found himself stopping from where he’d been pulling himself away from her, hovering over her, his hands still fiddling with the blankets, smoothing them down over her shoulders.

He felt ensnared in her gaze, the warmth that filled her eyes, the kindness he’d seen there since their first chance meeting only seeming to grow that much _more._ His next breath didn’t come right away, his heart feeling as if it clenched and then stumbled in the face of her stare.

And then she smiled at him.

Bucky had known she was strong, known she was kind and sweet and so _caring_ despite _everything_ she’d gone through and right then, gazing into those beautiful eyes, he was sure he had never stared head on at something quite like it before.

All of the air he’d been withholding escaped him in a rush and it only seemed to make Clara’s lips curl up into a shy smile as she withdrew her hand from beneath the blankets and reached out to him.

Bucky startled slightly, despite seeing her reaching for him, the comforting warmth of her hand settling timidly against his cheek. He leaned in to her caress and found his lashes fluttering as he settled into her touch.

She exhaled softly and Bucky drew his eyes open to fix her with a look he hoped reflected how much he cared for her. Because he did. _Immensely_ so, despite their short time together, even if they weren’t exactly _together_. Not just yet.

He reached up and cupped his flesh hand over hers for a moment before he turned and pressed a kiss to her open palm.

He left only a few moments later, a quiet _good night, Clara_ escaping him as he laid her hand on the blankets over her stomach. She didn’t wish him a good night, but he felt her gaze follow him to the door and when he turned to look at her one last time before he closed it, it was to see her on her side, looking back at him with a warm but tired smile tugging at her rosy lips.

He watched her lashes flutter, her eyes close and heard a soft breath escape her parted lips. He closed the door and Jarvis shut out the lights.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. <3

“You sure they’re going to be gone all afternoon?” Steve queried, worrying at his lower lip as he glanced down the hallway towards the elevators and stairwell.

“Steve, would you relax? I’m sure they’ll be out for at least four hours. We have plenty of time,” Tony assured, humming quietly under his breath when he pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket. “Ah, see? Bucky just texted me to let us know they’ve made it to the restaurant.”

Steve exhaled, relieved. “Okay, but we still don’t know where we’re even going to put the damned thing.”

Chuckling softly, Tony had Jarvis unlock Clara’s apartment, the pair slipping in easily. His calculating gaze flickered quickly around the space before settling on- “Perfect. I think I have just the place.”

Steve’s brows only furrowed but he did let out a sigh a moment later when Tony turned to him and clapped his hands together and asked, “How do you feel about helping me move some furniture?”

Steve could only blink. Because really? “You mean, how do I feel about moving furniture while you supervise?”

“That’s what I said,” Tony scolded, but the way his eyes sparkled told Steve all he needed to know.

“Uh huh.”

Steve couldn’t help his smile when Tony bumped his hip with his and then took off into the apartment, already doling out his orders.

Steve loved this man so much. Why? Well, that was simple wasn’t it? Tony was Tony.

…

Clara exhaled shakily and approached the corner booth with a nervous smile, her gaze flickering over Bucky’s face in nervous apprehension. “H-how um-did you-“

“You were incredible-are-“ He paused, feeling breathless for inexplicable reasons. “Incredible.”

Clara’s smile was like a flower blooming in sunlight and all Bucky could do was breathe. “Really?”

He nodded, swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat. “Yeah, Clara,” He managed and he did his best to ignore the fact that he could feel a slight coolness beneath his eyes when a breeze ghosted over his face.

He knew he’d been crying, had done his best to wipe at his eyes throughout her performance but he’d long since resigned himself to the fact that he would most likely always cry whenever she played. There was just something about her music, about her in general, he supposed. He wanted to huff at himself but resisted the urge as Clara motioned towards the other side of the booth he was in.

“May I sit?”

“Of course,” He blurted and watched as she slipped into the seat across from him.

“Did you have a bite to eat?” She asked, carefully tucking her violin back into its case.

“Just uh, a croissant and some-“

“Tiramisu?” She chuckled and Bucky huffed a small laugh.

“You got me, I was told it was to die for.”

Clara smiled, nibbling on her lower lip. “It is really good,” She chuckled. “But maybe we could have something a little more substantial? What are you thinking? They have some good pasta dishes.”

“Oh-“ Bucky cleared his throat slightly. “I was actually hoping you might like to go back to the apartment and order some Thai food. I know you mentioned having a craving-“

“Yes, please,” She laughed at her own response and Bucky huffed softly.

“I’ve already settled up, so we can head back to the compound,” He explained and she hummed and nodded, glancing around for a moment. “Everything alright?”

Clara’s gaze flit back to him and she smiled, eyes crinkling up adorably as she regarded him. “Yes, I was just debating getting a cup of coffee to go.”

Bucky bit his lower lip and glanced around the dining room but several of the servers working looked quite busy. “Why don’t we stop at Starbucks on the way back?”

Clara lit up. “Yeah? I’d kill for something sweet.”

Bucky smiled, already rising from his seat. “Sounds good, doll.”

The way the pet name rolled off his tongue made it sound so sweet to her ears and she felt herself flushing as she too rose from her seat. She could only smile at him and do her best to keep it in check by biting hard at her lower lip as she slipped into her coat and picked up her violin case.

They did end up stopping for Starbucks and ordered two caramel macchiato’s to go but by the time they reached the compound, they were both rather hungry. “Alright,” Bucky hummed, pulling out his cellphone while they started through their private parking garage. “What do you want for uh, late lunch? Early dinner?”

Clara hummed, shrugging. “You pick, I’d be happy so long as I get Thai.”

Bucky shot her an amused glance and sent off a quick text. “Sounds good, Jarvis will place an order for us and it should be here in less than thirty.”

“Sounds good,” She sighed, rolling her shoulders as they entered the elevator.

“You okay?” Bucky murmured, gaze flickering over her frame and the way she rolled her neck a moment later.

“Oh, yeah, I’m all right. Just a bit stiff is all.”

He watched as she loosened her scarf and reached beneath her coat to rub at her shoulder. He wondered if she was hurting from her fall yesterday but was afraid to ask directly, not wanting to upset her. “Is it from playing?”

Clara huffed softly, nodding. “Most of it is, yeah. Been playing so much lately,” She admitted, smiling warmly as she glanced to the number pad as they started going up.

Bucky watched her, the pleased smile she wore, the way she had a bit of laughter in her voice, dancing behind her eyes. “It’s good.”

Clara blinked, turning her attention to him with a curious, “What is?”

“Playing, it-“ He paused, searching for the right words. “It clearly makes you happy to play, to have more time to play.”

Clara’s smile was so bright and genuine that Bucky found himself unable to not follow suit. “It is good,” She agreed, voice quiet as they arrived at their personal floor. “And it does make me happy, so the little bit of discomfort is welcomed.”

“Like a good workout,” He hummed and she made a soft noise of agreement as they stepped out of the elevator and headed towards their apartments.

“Exactly,” She chuckled and bumped her shoulder lightly against Bucky’s.

He lightly bumped hers back and shot a quick glance back down the hallway as they came up to her door. “Did you want to come in while we wait for dinner? Maybe we could see who else is around and invite them too?”

“That sounds like a great idea, I’ll send them a message in a minute,” He agreed, stepping up behind her as she awkwardly tried to juggle her coffee cup, violin and place her hand to the data reader. Bucky could only roll his eyes and reach for her coffee to give her a hand.

“Thanks,” She laughed, rolling her eyes at herself as she finally placed her hand to the reader and the door logs disengaged.

“No worries,” Bucky chuckled and kept a hold of the last dregs of her macchiato as he followed her inside.

“Seriously, it’s just like how we always try to like, make the least amount of trips and instead carry everything. Just didn’t want to pause to set down the cup or ask if you could hold it-“ She laughed, shaking her head at herself as she strolled into the apartment and set down her violin, already moving to unbutton her coat.

Bucky swallowed hard but must have made an agreeable sound because she snickered softly. “I suppose the only difference is that-“ She stilled, having turned and caught sight of the rest of the apartment.

She was quiet for a long moment before she seemed to realize she hadn’t finished speaking. “Is that…you could have probably managed on your own...whereas I needed your help,” She whispered, voice having already started to trail off half way through her sentence.

“What-“ She breathed, taking an aborted step further into the apartment. “H-how-“

Bucky watched her flounder for a moment before he took a deep breath and stepped up behind her and gently reached out to place his hand against her lower back, urging her to take another step forwards.

She did, didn’t even flinch when he lightly coaxed her forwards, merely took those few more steps into the middle of the room…where her piano was positioned on a newly acquired lavish cream rug.

Clara didn’t say anything as she approached with careful steps, somehow afraid it was going to disappear right before her eyes if she broke the quiet or-heaven forbid-blink. She exhaled shakily when she came to stop in front of the keys, her piano bench positioned just…right there.

She turned to look over at Bucky and his heart clenched when he saw the tears in her grey-blue eyes, the uncertainty therein. “Bucky?” She whispered, voice faint, choked.

He faltered for a moment, unsure if he’d made the right decision to fix up the piano. Maybe it was a sore spot for her, maybe she didn’t want it fixed. For an instant, he thought he’d made the wrong decision, that he’d fucked up-royally-but it was quickly dismissed in the face of her quivering bottom lip and devastated half smile.

She looked happy, even if she was crying and upset. It wasn’t a bad upset. She looked grateful. His heart gave an uncomfortable leap and he took a tentative step towards her, unable to resist. “I couldn’t get rid of it,” He confessed, voice low, eyes searching hers. He watched as the tears started to fall, wetting her pink cheeks. “You asked us to and I-I knew you didn’t really want us to, did you?”

She shook her head and choked back a quiet sob, reaching up to cover her mouth as she turned back to the piano. “No, I-“ She shook her head and made a soft sad noise as she took another halting step towards it. She reached out with a shaking hand and Bucky watched her hesitate right before her fingertips brushed against the keys…and then promptly burst into tears.

Bucky’s heart clenched and he felt strangled by his inability to form words for a long moment, but when Clara turned to look at him, tears still falling freely and a flush to her cheeks that even with her tears, only made her look that much sweeter, he found himself murmuring her name in nothing more than a soft whisper.

His arms were wrapping around her waist in the span of a second as she stepped into his arms and hugged him fiercely.

He melted into her wild embrace, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she stepped up on her tippy toes to hug him properly. He found himself ducking his head and burying a shaky smile in her hair as he held her body close, enjoying her warmth seeping into what felt like his very bones. He was thankful he’d put down their cups when he’d walked in.

He exhaled shakily against her hair when he felt her turn her head beneath his chin. Her next breath was warm and nothing but a puff breathed out against his throat, but it sent a shiver through him all the same; goosebumps racing to the surface of his skin. Especially when she was then laying the barest hint of a kiss against his suddenly flushed skin.

“Thank you,” She whispered and his arms briefly tightened around her, the whirring of the metal plates so loud it made him nearly flinch at the sound.

“You’re welcome,” He said gruffly, slowly-reluctantly-letting her go.

She settled back onto her heels, her arms slipping from his shoulders. When she let go-just as reluctant-her eyes were still brimming with tears, but the smile she wore was full of gratitude and adoration and Bucky could only stare at her in awe.

She shook her head a little and reached up to swipe at some of the tears still gathered on her cheeks, but at least they weren’t falling freely anymore. He was instantly smiling when a soft laugh bubbled out of her and then she was turning back to her piano and reaching out once again to caress the keys.

“You don’t know how grateful I am, Bucky,” She confessed, gaze stuck on the piano, roving over it. “My father bought this piano on my 18th birthday. He said he’d been waiting to surprise me for nearly a year,” She laughed softly, her voice strained. “He said he was waiting on it to be built and keeping it a secret had been awful.”

She shifted then and glanced down at the piano bench and after a moment of contemplation, she took a seat, to the far right of the bench.

“I always sat right here,” She breathed and then splayed a hand out beside her on the empty cushion. “And he always sat right-right here beside me.”

Bucky’s brows furrowed as he listened to her speak, his heart aching in sympathy. “He taught you to play?”

“Yeah,” She said shakily, lifting her hand back up and hovering over the keys. “I’d learned to play when I was much younger, but it wasn’t something I spent a lot of time practising, too busy learning to play the violin. But when he bought this…well, we would always play it together and I took an instant liking to it. The violin will still always be my eternal love, but-“ She paused, lightly trailing her fingertips along the keys, not daring to actually strike any. “I learned to appreciate the beauty of a piano thanks to him. I learned to appreciate the beauty of a lot of things, thanks to him.”

“I’m glad,” Bucky murmured, swallowing thickly. “That you had something like that, that you were able to share that with him.”

“Me too,” She breathed. “I had a lot of somethings, I suppose. We used to play this together, but we also used to play duets with my violin and his cello.”

“Oh-“ Bucky blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah,” She exhaled deeply, raising both of her hands over the keys and just…hovered there for a long moment. “I miss it,” She confessed, so softly Bucky wasn’t sure he was meant to hear. “I miss him.”

He took a careful step towards her and slowly reached out to her, making sure she saw him do so, before he gently settled his metal hand against her shoulder. When he gave her a small squeeze, her fingers fell upon the keys.

He released her, drawing his hand back to his side as her fingers slowly began to dance along the keys. It was a different kind of sound, like tinkling notes filling the space around them. It was soft and sweet, slow to start but Bucky could hear the potential to build behind each and every note she struck.

It made Bucky think back to his sisters playing in their home, old dance halls and-and bombed out bars in France with the Howlies-

He inhaled shakily and had to blink past the sudden well of emotion that came along with the thought. He hadn’t anticipated feeling this way upon hearing her play the piano. But he knew he shouldn’t have been surprised.

The music she played was like nothing he’d ever heard before, no doubt a classical piece of someone famous and it was so, so beautiful. He felt arrested by the sight and sound of her and he wondered belatedly if he’d started crying.

Upon reaching up to check, he found his cheeks dry but his lips parted in awe and he dropped his hand to his side and forced himself to swallow, albeit thickly, as he watched and listened to her play.

It was nothing he recognized but it was still lovely and he found himself shifting, moving to stand alongside the piano so that he could watch her face. He was not at all surprised to find her brows pinched up, expression so open with an unnamable emotion and his heart melted at the sight of her.

He could see tears still falling as she blinked past them, a quiet bitten off whimper escaping her barely hiding beneath the melody. He could only stare at her, eyes flickering over her face as she seemed to brighten every moment she continued to play, despite the tears. He was shaking his head in the next moment when she reached the crescendo, his own heart soaring along with it.

She laughed suddenly, eyelashes fluttering as she drew her gaze from the keys to look over at Bucky and his heart swelled with love at the absolute joy he could see reflected in her eyes.

She shook her head, eyes still brimming with tears but she was smiling up at him as the song came to a close, her hands falling to rest. “Bucky, I-“

“Oh wow!” Peter called and they both jumped at the sound of the younger man’s voice, turning to find him...along with Steve, Tony, Natasha and Clint, standing just inside the doorway.

Bucky felt bad that he’d not even noticed their arrival and found himself flushing in embarrassment, because surely they’d seen him fawning all over her. Oh dear, lord.

“H-hey,” Clara managed, swallowing thickly and hastily brushing aside her tears.

“That was incredible,” Peter gushed, the others offering their own compliments as they came further into the apartment.

Tony was trying very hard to contain his grin as he looked between her and Bucky as she got up from her bench. “T-thank you, uh...what’s everyone doing here?” Clara asked curiously, still obviously a bit shaken.

Bucky smiled a little nervously at her and shrugged. “I uh, Tony and Steve helped bring up the piano and I uh, asked if they might like to be a part of your surprise.”

“We also brought dinner,” Steve explained, raising a couple of takeout bags, Clint and Natasha doing the same beside him.

“Oh, that’s-“ Clara cleared her throat softly. “That’s great, um, just-“ She motioned towards the kitchen.

“We’ll get everything organized, don’t worry,” Natasha consoled, clearly seeing how flustered she was.

“Thanks,” She managed weakly and caught Tony’s eyes as he came over, Peter, Clint and Steve following Natasha into the kitchen.

“Well,” He started, his grin morphing into more of a fond smile. “That was really lovely.”

“T-thank you, Tony, I-“ He huffed, shrugging lightly as she rubbed at her elbow nervously. “It’s been a long time since I’ve played and-“ She bit her lower lip, glancing back to the piano. “I’m so happy to be able to play again,” She confessed, gaze flickering up to meet Bucky’s adoring gaze.

“Glad to hear it,” Tony beamed and Clara huffed softly as she shifted to look back at the piano, her hand reaching out to lay against the cover.

“How did it get broken, anyway?” Clint asked, helping the others unpack their takeaway on the kitchen table.

Clara blinked and swallowed hard, gaze flickering towards the archer and then back to the piano. But when she hummed and shrugged, not meeting anyone’s gazes, Tony arched a brow curiously.

“Care to enlighten us?” He asked, stepping up beside her, so close that their hips were almost bumping.

She shrugged a little stiltedly again, gaze flickering over to him and then to where Clint and the others were watching her curiously, clearly waiting for an answer but trying not to appear too interested. It didn’t help that she could practically feel the heaviness of his gaze.

She squirmed uncomfortably and then huffed out a quiet breath. But when she forced a sad excuse for a smile and seemed to lift herself up a bit as if drawing on an inner strength, Bucky wasn’t sure he was going to like the answer.

“My da,” She exhaled, blinking a little to clear the rush of tears. “The day before he died, he told me to sell the piano, begged me to. He said it would help with the medical bills.” She shook her head sadly. “I knew I wouldn’t, but I lied and told him everything would be fine, that I’d take care of it. He passed and-“ She blew out a slow breath. “I went home to our apart-my-apartment...and-“ She exhaled shakily. “I broke down and smashed it.”

Tony blinked, because he...had not expected that.

“With what?” Steve blurted, blinking and they all turned to look at him, a little startled that that was the first thing he thought to say to well, that.

“My hands?” She replied, a little furrow between her brows.

“Seriously?” Tony blurted and Clara’s cheeks heated.

“Yes?”

“It’s just...that was a lot of damage for...someone so-“ He waved his hand in her general direction and Clara blinked...and then arched a brow in challenge.

“Go on, finish that sentence, I dare you,” She challenged, crossing her arms in front of her chest and...Bucky’s surprised bark of laughter had Clara startling slightly before she was smiling over at him in fond exasperation.

Tony laughed and shook his head, throwing up his hands in defeat. “Alright, alright, I just...you’re very petit.”

“Uh huh,” She muttered, but she was smiling so Tony didn’t think he was in too much trouble. She turned back to look down at the keys and let out a shaky sigh. “It must have been really expensive to fix,” She murmured, looking to Bucky a bit guiltily.

He shrugged and reached up to rub at the back of his neck uncomfortably. Because yeah, it had been really fuckin’ expensive but it’s not like he cared. He’d pay double what they wanted to fix it if it meant making Clara happy.

“It wasn’t too bad,” He lied and it was so blatantly a lie that Clara huffed and shook her head, and then called him out on it.

“You’re a terrible liar, Buck,” She sighed, but then she flashed him a warm, shy smile. “But thank you.”

Bucky tried not to puff up too noticeably at her thanks and worked to clear his throat, shrugging it off. “Wasn’t any trouble.”

They were distracted a moment later by the others calling them over to join them for dinner. They all made themselves comfortable at the table while they talked about their day. Bucky was relatively quiet as the others talked and laughed together. Clara was smiling and joking with his friends and Bucky just let himself sink into the warmth of being near her.

She’d chosen to sit next to him when they’d gone to the table and Bucky tried not to let himself be too obvious about how happy that made him. But it wasn’t long until he was drawn into conversation with Tony and Peter about the possibilities and probabilities of time travel being an actual thing.

Clara had laughed and then amended her immediate argument of, that’s pure science fiction, to, well, if superheroes, aliens and gods are a thing, maybe time travel isn’t so far fetched. Bucky had to chuckle lightly at that, because yeah. If you asked him if it was real when he was a kid, he’d have wholeheartedly wished for such a thing, now though? It sort of seems terrifying. All that power to change the past, change the future, maybe even protect the future?

He’s sure there’s a saying in there. Something like, with great power comes great responsibility and he is not interested. Thank you very much.

But it’s during said discussion that he finds himself leaning back, scoffing lightly at something Peter said and he-he was so damn comfortable around these people now that he didn’t even realize he’d put his arm up along the back of the chair beside him. Clara’s chair to be more specific.

She’d been leaning forward slightly, elbow braced against the table, body turned towards Bucky and the others as they talked, but the moment Bucky stretched out his arm to rest casually against the back of her chair, she found her gaze flickering towards the man as he jumped back into the conversation.

Clara could only watch as he seemed to curl towards her, even as his attention remained on the others and their conversation. It was oddly comforting, to have him clearly distracted by the others but some part of him always attuned to her. She enjoyed being swept up in his attentions, even if they weren’t speaking directly to one another right then, he didn’t seem to want to be apart from her. It was as endearing as it was maddening.

She wanted to huff a laugh at herself and shifted a little closer to the table, a little closer to him. If he noticed, he didn’t outwardly say so. She worried at her lower lip and let her gaze flicker between Bucky and the others but ultimately her attention was on him. She tried to appear as if she were actively listening to the others, but they weren’t stupid enough to believe it, not when her gaze kept flickering towards Bucky.

She bit her lower lip as she watched his knee jump for at least the tenth time, beneath the table, agitated-but in a good way-about their discussion and when he leaned forward again, laughing quietly at something Steve said, she found herself reaching out and placing a steadying hand against his bouncing knee.

Bucky inhaled sharply at the gentle contact and Clara forced herself to turn and reply to a question Steve asked her to distract them from Bucky’s reaction. She shrugged lightly and gave his knee a reassuring squeeze and when she felt the tension drain out of him as he relaxed beneath her touch, she felt oddly lifted.

A short while later they all got up to tidy up, putting away dishes and garbage from their meal, when the sight of Tony moving to sit down on the piano bench stole her attention.

She blinked, watching as he seated himself and looked down at the keys as if he were making himself comfortable. Correction. As if he were about to play.

“Tony?” She asked curiously, taking a few steps towards the piano and subsequently the man himself.

He looked up at her and met her curious gaze with a smile before he was winking and turning his attention back to the piano...and then he started playing.

It wasn’t perfect. He started out a bit rough, laughing lightly at himself as he picked up the thread of some tune or other and Clara found herself staring in wide-eyed shock as she pressed a hand to her breast, utterly bewildered by what she was seeing.

She...maybe...swooned. Just a bit. Not that she’d ever admit that to Tony. To anyone, really.

“Oh, wow,” She breathed, walking closer. Tony’s gaze flickered up to her and he smiled, tipping his head to the side as he considered her, his fingers tripping slightly over the next few notes. They both laughed and realized the others were giggling softly along with them as Tony withdrew his hands from the keys with a shrug.

“I’m no Mozart,” He chuckled, smiling up at her. “But I can play a bit.”

Clara shook her head and then she was rounding the piano and gingerly sitting down beside him. “Do uh-“ She cleared her throat, suddenly a bit nervous. “Do you need um, sheet music to play? Or can you i-improvise?”

Tony stretched a bit and shrugged. “I mean, I can read it just fine, even if it’s been a while. I used to uh-“ He paused, blinking at her before he turned to look back down at the keys. “I used to interrupt my mom, whenever she was playing, kind of try and steal the show, so to speak?”

Clara’s eyes brightened, her gaze and smile softening. “Did you play with her?”

Tony nodded, throat growing tight and Clara wasn’t stupid enough to keep pressing, so...she bumped his shoulder lightly with her own and shot him a reassuring smile as her hands alighted upon the keys beside him.

She raised a brow at him in challenge the moment she caught his eye. “Oh,” He breathed. “It is on.”

Clara merely grinned and turned her focus back to the piano and within seconds her hands were dancing along the keys.

Tony didn’t realize it, but he was grinning from ear to ear as he watched her fingers fly over the keys, listening to the melody and picking out what he could maybe build on. It took him a moment but then he was laughing, practically giddy in his excitement and then he was joining her. Not fighting over the keys, but working along side her, careful not to bump into her and she worked around him easily, grinning brightly herself.

Bucky was maybe...just...maybe a little bit jealous.

Steve stepped up beside him and Bucky huffed softy under his breath, flickering his gaze briefly to his friend. “You are so jealous right now, aren’t you?”

Bucky glowered at his friend, gaze momentarily settling on the blond before focusing back on the pair. “Of course I’m jealous,” He said gruffly. “Lookit’ them.”

Steve was looking, smiling fondly at Tony as he started to laugh and try and jostle Clara beside him, picking up the pace of his fingers as she grinned and tried to elbow him. Steve shook his head. “I’m maybe a bit jealous too,” He confessed and Bucky rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest, gaze caught on the pair grinning and laughing as they both sought to steal the show.

Bucky would be scowling if he didn’t find it so endearing and that was before she started slowing down, letting Tony crow in delight as he outpaced her. Even if it were very clear that she was letting him win. Tony didn’t seem to mind too much, chuckling as he too slowed down and then they both ceased playing entirely, laughing and looking at each other as if they were seeing each other again for the first time.

Now Bucky was scowling.

“That was great!” Peter was shouting and Bucky softened a bit as the kid practically bounced on the balls of his feet as he joined them.

Tony laughs softly and Clara gets up, gently placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a gentle squeeze. “That was great, Tony. Thank you.”

He shrugged lightly and smiled up at her. “It uh, it was nothing,” He tried, his gaze momentarily flickering to where he could see Bucky watching them, Steve too for that matter. He suddenly felt very seen. “Just a bit of fun.”

She hummed softly and pulled away. “It was definitely fun,” She agreed, reaching up and pushing some of her hair back behind her ear. “Now, if only I could find someone to play the cello for me, we could form a lovely little trio.”

Tony blinked and tried not to let his mind wander into uh...more dangerous territory. Because no.

“You should teach Bucky to play the cello,” Steve suggested.

Bucky blinked...and then slowly turned to look at Steve. He didn’t have to glare at Steve, not when he was staring at the blond with a very much blank expression. Steve...maybe knew he was in for an earful later.

“What?” He said quietly and Steve blinked, gaze flickering between Bucky and where the others were watching him, most with raised eyebrows.

“Well, you were always more musically inclined t-than I was-“

“That was with dancing, Steve and it was-it was a l-long time ago-“

“But you’d be great at it,” He went on, smiling and glancing over Bucky’s shoulder to Clara, finding her smiling at them eagerly. That was good, at least.

“I-“ Bucky floundered and then Clara was clearing her throat softly.

“Bucky?”

Bucky blinked and fixed Steve with a look before he was schooling his features and calmly turning to look at her. But of course she was looking at him hopefully, somewhat nervous but clearly trying to contain her excitement at the prospect of perhaps teaching Bucky to play.

He cleared his throat, ready to object but then her gaze was softening and she shrugged lightly. “I’d be happy to teach you, i-if that was something you wanted.”

And it was the tentativeness that got him, how she was pretending that she maybe didn’t care either way, but Bucky saw through it. Let’s be honest. They all saw through it. Bucky was helpless not to say yes.

“Okay,” He said roughly, weak with it.

The way her whole face brightened had his heart clenching painfully in his chest. Because seriously? He huffed at himself as she turned and fled towards the living room to grab the cello case he’d seen by the coffee table and he quickly turned to fix Steve with a glare. Not that Steve cared.

The blond grinned at him and bit his lower lip to keep from laughing at the annoyance that was pretty well rolling off of his friend in waves.

“Grab a chair from the kitchen?” Clara asked, already working to unpack her cello, gaze fixed on her task.

Bucky hummed under his breath but as he turned to head to grab a chair, he found Natasha already bringing one over. His narrowed eyes in her direction did nothing to stop the pleased saccharine sweet smile she wore.

“Thank you,” He mumbled, taking the chair from her and returning to where Clara had stood, now holding the cello carefully.

It was bigger than he expected and for a moment he blinked dumbly at it before she was tipping her head slightly and smiling at him.

“Have a seat?”

Bucky took a seat on the chair without further prompting and...and now he was nervous. What the fuck? He shifted slightly, both of his hands rubbing over his thighs. He raised his gaze to meet Clara’s as she stepped into his space.

“Um, c-could-can you-“ She paused and seemed to gather herself, a light blush colouring her cheeks. “Could you open your legs a bit?”

Bucky blinked and then blinked again. What? He would have said it too if Tony hadn’t barked out a laugh and called out, “Yeah, Bucky. Spread those thighs.”

“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Bucky muttered, a bright flush crawling its way up his neck and breaking it out across his cheeks.

Clara laughed, couldn’t help it and even as the others laughed too, Bucky found himself doing as she asked. He spread his legs, hoping they would be wide enough and then she was just-in his space. She settled the cello down properly between his legs, allowing the spike to touch the ground before leaning the cello back closer to him.

“You’ll need to sit up quite straight and close to the edge of the chair,” She told him, voice much quieter, only for him.

He nodded and cleared his throat slightly, shifting forwards in his seat before he found himself needing to spread his legs a bit more. He really tried not to get distracted by the blush that had taken over her sweet face.

“Perfect,” She murmured and Bucky tried to tamp down on the butterflies that one word brought him. “Now, just place your left hand here,” She went on, motioning towards the neck of the cello and then bending and picking up the bow, giving Bucky a moment to get comfortable.

By the time she turned back to assist him, Bucky was nearly trembling with nerves, gaze stuck between his metal hand and the delicate neck of the instrument. “I-“

Clara smiled at him reassuringly and Bucky tentatively curled his hand at the neck, the metal barely making any noise at all. “There you go, you can relax your legs a bit. You don’t have to hold the cello still with your thighs, you just support it with your left hand. You’ll find you move a fair bit while you play, which is normal and the cello will move with you.”

“Oh,” Bucky said dumbly and instantly took the weight of the instrument in his hand, relaxing his thighs a bit. And then she held out the bow to him.

“You hold this like so,” She murmured, helping him and it was easy, to let her mold his fingers to it, watch as she shared a private smile with him before standing back up a bit straighter. “I’ll just explain the basic parts of it to you and then teach you a couple of simple notes, sound good?”

“Sure,” He said gruffly and she nodded and began to point out various parts of the cello in his grasp.

He took it all in, couldn’t not. Not when she was standing so close that he could smell her perfume and the hint of the day that still lingered on her skin. He swallowed thickly and let her walk him through how to properly form a note on the fingerboard and while the others had a soft chuckle at the phrasing, Bucky was too preoccupied by the way she was smiling and looked so happy at being able to share something like this with him.

His chest ached in a way he was starting to become increasingly familiar with.

“Now-“ She murmured, biting her lower lip gently. “You just, very gently, bring the bow like so-“

She moved then, shifted around to stand behind him and gently helped to position his hand properly,before bringing the bow slowly across the strings as he made sure to keep his metal fingers firm-but gentle-against the neck.

He exhaled shakily when he managed to play a note. “That’s great!” She laughed, so close to him and he inhaled deeply and nodded, letting her move his hand once again.

They did it a few times on the same note before she let go of his hand and directed him. The next pass over the strings was a bit uneven and he grimaced with the wavering note. “That’s okay,” She chuckled, settling a warm, reassuring hand against his shoulder. “Just try it a few times, back and forth until it feels comfortable, the note steady.”

So, he did. It took a half dozen more passes or so but eventually the notes started to sound stronger, more sure. “That’s great, Bucky. Want to try another?”

He nodded in lieu of saying anything and she beamed at him before explaining the next note. Before long he’d cycled through four different notes and he was growing more comfortable with handling the bow, even if he was incredibly tentative with his left hand.

“Don’t be afraid to press a little firmer,” She explained, closing her fingers around the unyielding metal.

Bucky startled a little but she only smiled and squeezed his hand gently, the soft puff of her next breath breathed so close to his face as she remained standing just over his shoulder. “And if you gently wiggle your finger-“ She urged and when Bucky did, the sweet low warbling of his next note made him smile. “There you go! You’re picking it up remarkably fast.”

He huffed a soft laugh, embarrassed and proud of himself in equal measure for putting that smile on her lovely face.

“I uh, this isn’t so bad.”

She laughed lightly and came around in front of him, fixing him with a careful look. One he didn’t dare read too much into. “How about you try playing each of the notes in sequence now? If you play the first, then third, second and fourth, you’ll have a lovely little tune. You can draw them out as much as you like, make them warble as much as you please.”

She was beaming at him and he couldn’t help his own smile as he nodded and began to practice doing just that.

While he did so, he was unaware that she and the others were watching him unabashedly, too focused on making sure to perfect each note and frankly, he wasn’t stupid, he knew it wasn’t perfect, far from it. But it wasn’t so bad. He actually thought he was doing alright, much slower than Clara was capable, but his notes weren’t nearly as shaky as when he’d started.

He heard Steve commenting quietly on how quickly he’d picked it up and it was true, he was picking it up quickly. He belatedly wondered if the serum had something to do with it. He’d picked up all kinds of things over the years thanks to the serum. He was a fast learner, he did know that much. He just...hadn’t thought that he’d be quick to pick up something quite like this.

He startled a moment later when Tony hummed and then there was the unmistakable sound of the piano filling his ears. He instantly paused his own playing and looked over at the genius. “Don’t stop playing,” Clara laughed and Bucky’s gaze flickered to where she’d gone...to get her violin.

He swallowed roughly and blinked at her, gaze straying to the violin and bow in her grasp and then up to her face. She smiled at him warmly and nodded. “Tony’s going to play a little and you-can you keep playing that tune?”

She sounded so hopeful and Bucky was so gone on this woman. He nodded and choked out a soft, sure in reply. When she positively lit up at that, he made himself swallow thickly and look away, only to briefly glance towards Tony who was grinning knowingly at him.

He quickly averted his gaze and went back to playing the notes she’d taught him. His eyes wrenching from where he’d been focusing on the drag of his bow, to settle on Clara as she started to play her violin, however.

He belatedly realized that he’d paused his own playing but a wink in his direction had him nearly scrambling to pick back up again. He ignored the anxious whirring of the metal arm and focused on making sure he kept playing the notes correctly.

He needn’t have worried. His mind was a curious thing, the serum was a curious thing. With very little effort he was able to continue to play, even going so far as the warble the notes once in a while, but most of his attention was on the sound the three of them were making together. Because wow.

Tony wasn’t playing anything particularly fancy, just something sweet and slow and Bucky knew he wasn’t exactly playing something difficult, but Clara? She was carrying them both but the notes coming from his cello and Tony playing the piano, were lovely alongside her song.

Bucky wanted to melt into it, finding his gaze flickering between Tony and Clara and smiling in deep seated relief that he was able to share something like he’d seen Tony manage. Even if they weren’t sitting side by side, he still felt connected with her in a way he hadn’t expected.

There was a quiet murmur in the background and he’d placed it as the others quietly commenting and with the way the song was going, he expected it to be quite short. Short and sweet, he thought, anyway.

Clara was lovely as she played, swaying in the small space between the piano and where he sat. She was standing closer to Tony and whenever Bucky looked up, he could easily find the man’s eyes on her as she lost herself in the song.

It was easy to naturally follow along, warbling out the notes whenever it seemed like the right moment. Tony wasn’t having any issues following along, either, it seemed. He was biting his lip now, his gaze flickering between Bucky and Clara and in the next moment, Clara was drawing his attention as she turned and nodded her head towards Tony and whispered, trail off.

Bucky caught her gaze in the next moment as she turned to look at him then, her smile warm and adoring and Bucky felt his throat closing over as she asked him to, hold the last note the next time around for as long as you can.

So, Bucky did.

And it was so beautiful.

As the twinkling of Tony on the piano faded from their ears, Clara’s notes grew higher and yet softer and when Bucky hit his final note and tried to carry off the note for as long as he could, Clara’s high note faded out completely, leaving only Bucky’s filling the air around them.

“Perfect,” She breathed and Bucky drew the bow away as the note trailed off. “That was…that was just perfect.”

Bucky could only smile at her shyly as she looked at him, the epitome of sunshine in that moment. Tony laughed from behind her and she grinned and turned to look at him, clutching her violin to her breast.

“That was fun,” He announced and she laughed, her cheeks flushing as she nodded in agreement.

Bucky had to agree as well. Because it had been fun.

“Wow, that was pretty intense,” Peter offered and even Bucky had to huff softly in amusement, because yeah, it was.

Bucky had tuned out after a moment when the others started talking, their voices rising with their excitement and comments. It was a little overwhelming with everyone there and Steve seemed to notice and moved into his space, offering his support silently as Bucky stood.

Clara came over too after she’d put her violin down on top of the closed piano and offered to take the cello from him. He let her with a quiet thank you and when she merely blushed lightly and nodded, he had no other choice but to lean into Steve’s space, bumping their shoulders together lightly. He was feeling overwhelmed and Steve was always the best at making him settle.

He zoned out a bit after that, the blond staying close to him while he just breathed for a while. He was startled a while later, however, by Clara’s bark of surprised laughter.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Bucky blinked, confused as to her question, tone filled with disbelief. He hadn’t exactly been paying close attention to the conversation for the last few minutes.

Tony huffed softly but he was watching her curiously. “Your violin is a Stradivarius, is it not?”

“No-“ She scoffed, nervous laughter escaping her. “I mean, it’s an excellent copy of one, but it’s not an actualStradivarius. I think I would know i-if my mother’s violin was-was a-“

She paused, throat clicking, because no-surely it wasn’t.

Her gaze flickered towards the aforementioned violin, lying innocently on top of the piano. “How sure are you about that?” Tony queried gently.

Clara blinked and cast a careful glance towards her violin and just…couldn’t seem to look away. “It…s not…” She said slowly and Tony cocked his head.

“Hey, Jarvis?” He called, the A.I. replying with a quiet yes, Sir? “Want to fill her in?”

“Of course, Sir-“ There was a pause and then, “Miss Dealu, I believe you are related to a Renee Shia Nicol?”

Clara swallowed thickly. “Yes…she was my mother.”

“Ah, then it might surprise you to know that Mrs. Nicol had this particular violin registered with her insurance company and it was appraised at just over 1.5 million dollars and at this current time, it’s estimated value is between 2.8 to 3 million dollars. Respectively.”

Clara sat down. Hard.

And by sat down, she didn’t so much as sit as she did collapse onto the chair Bucky had only just recently vacated.

“I’m sorry, what?” She repeated, voice faint.

Tony huffed and tapped a few fingers on the piano top. “And the piano, J?”

“This piano is a Bösendorfer, Sir and its recent estimated value was $890,000 dollars and that was before reparations which added another $175,000 to its overall value.”

“Oh…my God,” Clara breathed, both of her hands coming up to cover her mouth. She was entirely caught off guard, because- “What?”

Tony huffed softly. “I’m gonna’ go out on a limb here and say you had zero idea that these were original pieces, am I right?”

She couldn’t bring herself to speak and merely nodded in reply. “Uh huh,” Tony hummed, glancing over at the cello resting inconspicuously in its open case. “What about the cello?”

“Don’t!” She called, voice a bit shrill. “Please don’t answer that, Jarvis,” She pleaded and the A.I. remained blissfully silent.

“You really didn’t know how much they were worth?” Clint asked curiously and Clara shook her head, scrubbing her hands roughly over her face.

“No,” She said weakly, looking up through her fingers at the group. “My-“ She exhaled shakily. “My father never said and I-“ She shrugged. “I had no idea.”

“Well-“ Tony offered. “They’re insured so long as you work for S.I. so don’t worry too much about it.”

Clara’s nervous laughter was a tad manic. “Right, because of course they are.”

There were a few quiet snickers and then conversation was devolving from there as the group finished tidying up from their dinner and migrated towards the living room to relax with some wine and treats.

Everyone settled after that, relaxing on the sofa or in one of the oversized reading chairs, the floor as well, but Bucky was having trouble focusing, too wrapped up in his own head to let himself truly relax. He knew that a few people had noticed, but no one was drawing attention to it.

Steve merely sat nearby, a reassuring presence and although he always seemed to be attuned to him, he was more focused on Clara’s calming presence not two feet from him, curled up on a cushion on the floor. She had her one elbow planted on the coffee table beside her, delicate fingers wrapped around the stem of her wine glass.

Every time she laughed, Bucky’s eyes were drawn back to her. Time and time again. Not that he managed to ever take his eyes off of her for very long. But all he could think about as she toyed with the stem of her glass and smiled as she chatted with his friends, was that he was hopelessly in love with this woman...and he needed to learn to play the cello so that he could share more moments like earlier with her...preferably alone.

He exhaled slowly and glanced over to where Natasha and Clint were getting to their feet, ready to head off for the night. He merely nodded and murmured a quiet good night and watched as Clara got to her feet, as did the others. Everyone deciding that it was late enough that they should head off to bed.

He didn’t disagree, but he had hoped to have a little alone time with her before the night was over.

“Oh-“ Tony started, turning back towards them as they started to tidy up their glasses. “I forgot to mention, there’s this gala next weekend, for S.I. It’s nothing terribly fancy but it is an important event we run every year.”

“Really? Is it a charity event, or?” Clara queried, pressing a cork back into one of the half empty bottles of wine left on the table.

“Not quite,” He offered, shrugging a bit. “It’s an opportunity for some of our joint ventures to mingle, propose new ideas and such and there is a bit of a charitable aspect as in, it’s $300 dollars a head and all the proceeds go to the Maria Stark Foundation. But yeah, it’s really just an excuse for big tech companies to try and squeeze in and chat with the different divisions of S.I. and maybe get a few contracts started.”

He shrugged and folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the back of the sofa as he regarded, Steve, Bucky, Peter and Clara; Natasha and Clint having slipped out already. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to have you tag along, get you familiar with these kinds of events, because there will be plenty for you to come along on in the future and it can be quite overwhelming. Best to start small.”

Clara blinked and looked between the others but when Tony merely arched a brow at her in question, her expression turned incredulous. “You mean me?” She blurted and Tony smiled, a little exasperated.

“Yes I mean you,” He agreed, laughing softly. “Steve hates the galas-“

“Too flashy for me,” The blond agreed quietly. “I do make an attempt to do my fair share through the year but I don’t typically attend S.I. functions.”

Clara blinked and looked to Bucky who just made a face that was more grimace than anything. She huffed and glanced to Peter who rocked back on the balls of his feet. “I’m going, but uh, basically just for the food?”

Tony barked out a startled laugh and Clara smiled a little helplessly.

“He’s an intern, has to make an appearance,” Tony explained, rolling his eyes and Peter sighed.

“They’re not all that bad, though they can be a bit loud,” Peter offered. “The food’s usually pretty good.”

“That’s because Pepper is a godsend,” Tony proclaimed and Steve snickered softly, because yeah, she was.

“So you...want me to come with you? A-as your assistant?”

“My assistant, my date-“ He cast her a flirty look and despite her starting to really get to know him, it still affected her more than she cared to admit.

“Your assistant,” She stressed, blushing lightly as she glanced at Steve, smiling a little helplessly.

Steve huffed in amusement. “Hey, I’m not the jealous type-“

“You are so the jealous type, Steven,” Tony scoffed and Clara laughed helplessly with the others as Steve flushed and shrugged. “But hey, I’ll be the respectable gentleman and chaperone you at the event.”

Clara huffed, glancing to Bucky as he shifted a bit in place but when she met his gaze her merely offered her a small smile and a nearly imperceptible nod. “Um...if I said yes-hypothetically-when would this gala be?”

“Next Saturday evening.”

“Oh, that’s-“ She huffed softly and rubbed lightly at her elbow. “That’s my birthday, I-“ She paused. “I guess that might be fun...as long as you don’t run off and leave me alone-“

“I wouldn’t dare-“ Tony assured her, grinning at her. “But you said it’s your birthday?”

She nodded, shrugging lightly. “Yeah, the 18th.”

“Well then-“ Tony breathed, rubbing his hands together eagerly. “I’ll make sure to have you the centre of attention-“

“Please don’t-“ She nearly begged and Tony grinned at her, but Peter laughed.

“We all know that you are typically the centre of attention at any given function, Tony,” Peter snickered and Tony rolled his eyes.

“Yes, but that’s because I’m usually drawing the attention from someone else.”

Clara sighed softly but she was smiling as she looked over at him. “You really want me to go?”

“Yes, please. These things are terribly boring without a good accomplice-“

Clara’s brow furrowed. “Don’t you mean date?”

“Sure!” He agreed and Clara narrowed her eyes.

“You just wanted me to admit that we’re going on a date, didn’t you?”

Tony pursed his lips, clearly fighting a smile, even if he shrugged and tried to deny it with every ounce of his being. “No, no-“ He managed. “I really did mean accomplice, ask Peter. We like to get up to a bit of trouble now and again and these galas are the perfect venue.”

Peter snickered and when Clara looked to him helplessly, she realized that he was going to bejust as much trouble.

“Great! So, Pete’s bringing a friend so he’ll meet us there, but I’ll come by here, say, around 5? We can make sure we’re all gussied up and then head out together.”

Clara raised a brow at him and then took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “Alright,” She sighed. “I’ll go with you.”

Tony’s expression softened and he nodded. “I do appreciate it and I know I can be a bit much sometimes, but I could really use the good company. It’s not always a walk in the park, if you know what I mean.”

Clara softened considerably. “You’re just you, Tony. You’re not too much and I can understand that these functions can get a bit tedious after a while.”

He cleared his throat slightly and nodded. “Right, well, we should get going then.”

He glanced down at his wrist and then abruptly made a start to the door, Steve smiling and following along while Peter just beamed at the older man. They knew their friend a little too deeply.

“Thank you again,” She called softly. “For the company, dinner,” She looked to Bucky and bit her lower lip gently. “Thank you as well, Bucky. I-“ She paused, as if to gather herself and Bucky drew in a deep breath of his own before taking a hesitant step towards her.

“You don’t have to say thank you, Clara...but...you’re welcome,” He whispered and she smiled at him and even if it was a bit watery, she didn’t let it deter her, not when she reached up and let her hand hover over his chest.

When Bucky didn’t move, she gently laid her hand against his chest and in the next moment, she was lifting herself up onto her tip-toes and pressing a featherlight kiss to his cheek, only just catching the edge of his mouth.

He let her and just as she pulled away and settled back down, feet on the floor, he reached up, making sure she could see his hand and when her eyes flickered towards it but she didn’t pull away, he placed it gently on her cheek, cupping it carefully.

He could feel the flush rise to the surface as she blushed lightly, her lips parting and Bucky’s gaze darted helplessly down to them before meeting those steel-blue eyes once more. He couldn’t quite bring himself to lean in and kiss her, even if that’s exactly what he wanted to do right then.

He swallowed thickly and brushed his thumb against the edge of her mouth, her lips like the softest petals. He couldn’t resist brushing his thumb a little lower, over the swell of her bottom lip and the plush give of it had his next breath stalling in his chest. But he’d stopped breathing and he immediately noticed and thought it had been long enough.

He carefully removed his thumb and gave her a warm smile, slowly drawing his hand away. “I’m glad I could make you happy, Clara.”

She smiled at him and it reached every part of her. He could see the lift in her shoulders, the hitch of her breath, the warmth fill her eyes and the curve of her lips and that was everything to him right then.

I want to make you happy, see that beautiful smile every day for the rest of my life...if you’ll let me.

The thought rocked him to his core but he didn’t let it show. It wasn’t a surprise, not really. He knew he felt more strongly these days as a result of well, everything. Falling in love with her? It’d been far too easy. She was wonderful, in every sense of the word.

“You make me happy, Bucky,” She breathed and Bucky watched her throat bob helplessly as she looked up at him with open adoration.

That was something, then, wasn’t it?

“I should get going,” He admitted and she nodded faintly and when her gaze flickered past him, he realized that yet again, they probably hadn’t shared that moment quite alone.

“Okay, um...it is really late,” She murmured and with a quiet nod, she watched him draw away reluctantly.

“Maybe tomorrow, we could go for coffee?” He suggested lightly, ignoring the gazes he could feel practically boring into his back.

Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him. “How about...we go for a walk in the park again and maybe stop by the bookstore for a treat and coffee?”

He couldn’t stop the wave of affection that welled up within him at the idea. He nodded. “Y-yeah, that-“ He paused, swallowing past the lump in his throat. “That sounds perfect, doll.”

The blush that overwhelmed her features then had him blushing as well. He had to be careful with the pet names, truly. She was too beautiful when she blushed.

“G-great, um, that sounds great,” She agreed and Bucky huffed softly, amused and embarrassed in equal measure.

“Come by around 10?”

“Perfect.”

He reluctantly stepped away and she followed him towards the doorway where the others had gather, purposely not looking at them. Clara and Bucky didn’t bother to resist the urge to roll their eyes. They were so obvious it hurt.

“Have a good night, guys. Thanks for coming,” Clara huffed, smiling despite her embarrassment.

“No worries!”

That would be Peter and though she’d spent only a little time with the younger man, she was already incredibly fond of him. He could be downright adorable at times.

“Oh, uh, Tony,” She called, leaning against the doorway as her gaze followed the men out of the apartment. When he paused and looked to her curiously, she huffed. “What am I supposed to wear to this gala?”

“Ah, I’ll have you talk to Pepper, she’ll be at the event too and I’m sure that she can help you pick something.”

Clara nodded, chuckling softly. “Sounds good, Tony. Night guys.”

She waved at them lightly and let the sound of their voices saying good night carry her back into the apartment. Let the sound of Bucky’s quiet endearment fill her head as she went towards the piano.

She doubted she’d be able to sleep for a time, not when there were notes to be played, songs to be written. She exhaled shakily and went to her box of books settled in front of the still empty bookcase.

“Right, first things first,” She breathed and knelt down to open up the box.

Filling up the bookcase was easy and even if she had to pack it all up again sooner rather than later, seeing all of her notebooks, her mother and father’s books and journals settled in such a safe place...it was enough to make her heart ache and her face hurt with the force of her smile.

After she’d finished her task, it was easy to settle down at the piano. She sat gingerly on the bench, pen and notebook in hand. Staring down at the ivory keys had her eyes welling with tears but she had never felt so full of inspiration as she did right then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that was okay. <3 Thanks for reading. Send me a comment and let me know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me [layora88](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/layora88) over on Tumblr or watch me on [tiktok](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJktCVuX/) and feel free to check out my [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/layora88/) <3
> 
> I'm also on Discord as starbucksjunkie#9171


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